Sonic's Protégé
by Candy-Vegetto
Summary: Tails had tampered with the power of the Chaos Emeralds, causing a series of powerful events that changed the world he knew. This causes Sonic to go back into action to pull his little brother out of it, or pull themselves out of it. But what they didn't know, was how big their small world really is. Limits break and Chaos Energy fluctuates. (Rated T for... I don't know.)
1. Miles 'Tails' Prower

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog. But, I own _some_ things in this story. The disclaimer will die in the later chapters—crap! Spoilers!**

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><p><strong>(Message from 2712/14; writing Chapter 22)**

**So, you're starting only now? ...or re-reading? Anyway, I have the contents right in the start, for you fans or non-fans. I didn't change anything in this chapter, just made a message from the FUTURE.**

**Season 1; Dark Saga: Chapter 1-10**

**Season 2; Chaos Emerald Saga: Chapter 11-oh, I haven't finished it yet.**

**Season 3; You'll be damn sure I'll reach at least here. Or Season 5. I have planned a _long_ way, only for it to be scrapped and rewritten in my mind. But it's still gonna be awesome!**

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><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

**_Miles 'Tails' Prower_**

The night sky was vibrant to Miles. He knew that there were about a million stars out there, each one at least a few lightyears away. There was also the fact that there was daylight in another part of the world. He liked to watch the stars glimmer at night, and the moon... He liked to imagine the moon as a planet in which he could roam around with his technology, always creating new ones.

Tails had to work hard in order to get to his destiny. Or that's what he thought, thinking that destinies would always end good. That good would triumph over evil. There was always this price in everything, and Tails always thought of it as a sacrifice.

He was in the tornado, a red biplane that he and Sonic had used to adventure, just gazing at the stars. The tornado's controls blinked with a white light, signalling Tails to act to whatever it was.

"Couldn't I get peace for a night?" he murmured, getting off the biplane. "Why do the nights have at least one troublemaker out there?"

He used his twin-tails to propel upwards, allowing him to fly for a short period of time. If he could last longer, then he would, but he just _couldn't_. He didn't believe he could fly without losing valuable energy. The tornado was there for _some_ reason.

He glided through the air, clinging to a wall afterwards. The fox jumped down, landing safely, and saw two people robbing a jewellery store. He crossed his arms as he contemplated. Those two were idiots trying to rob a store. Tails had started to act up, since Sonic had gone on long runs that bring the blue blur to the middle of nowhere.

He walked into the store, without any effort of using stealth. The two saw him in a minute, which aggravated Tails. How could these two even be classified as robbers if they're that dumb?

One of them glanced at the other, giving him a signal to run. He charged at Tails, who simply moved away from the attack. It led the robber to crash into the metal part between the door and the window. He was knocked unconscious from his own doing.

_Dumb. _Tails remarked inwardly.

He'd gotten used to name-calling, but he didn't want to openly say it out, because he had manners. But, from doing this hero thingy, he started to call them names because they were stupid from Tails' viewpoint. Tails had set his eyes on the other robber, who was shocked by his partner's downfall.

The thief ran. But he couldn't outrun the speed of sound, that was the problem. Tails had immediately caught up with him in seconds, breaking Sonic's record. The two shared a staring contest, and Tails was winning by striking fear into the robber's heart. Who would've thought an 8-year-old would be more intimidating than the crooks.

The thief pulled out a gun, and Tails smirked.

_Hah._ Tails thought. _The speed of a bullet coming from _that_ gun could only go at 180 meters per second. I could go beyond the speed of sound, and also see everything stop as if I was sound itself instead._

"L-Look! Y-You don't know who you're messing with, kid!" the thief warned, finger itching at the trigger. "D-Don't come near me! I'll-I'll shoot!"

Tails inwardly chuckled at his, like he was some kind of sadist. He was actually laughing because that the robber thought he could harm him with a gun. He could DODGE. And even if he got hit, it won't entirely kill him, there was this thing where the Universe didn't let him die. Which was weird in Tails' view and not at all cool. Nobody knew this yet, but this was the reason he survived so many times.

Tails took a step forward, and the thief pulled the trigger.

BANG.

VIEUM.

DING.

Smoke came out of the pistol, and Tails just moved with expertise, like he's done this before. All he did was sidestep, that's it. And the bullet went flying away and struck a wall. Tails glared at him, and the thief gulped in fear.

"What's your name?" the fox asked in a threatening tone. A tone in which Shadow wouldn't flinch, but know that the fox wasn't messing around. Tails could do better, but the coward didn't need to know the full terror that could make Sonic's heart go cold.

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><p>Sonic prepared breakfast for the duo. Since Tails was still asleep and he was awake, he decided to make themselves breakfast, just because. He was about to wake Tails up, until he heard the doors creak from upstairs. Then, sounds of water running got Sonic's attention, fully knowing that Tails was really awake.<p>

_Good. He's up. _Sonic thought. _That's better than _trying_ to wake him._

He saw the two-tailed kitsune walk down the stairs, yawning.

"Mornin' Tails!" Sonic greeted.

"Morning, Sonic." Tails greeted back, more tired than Sonic's tone.

"Hmm?" Sonic hummed, seeing a cut on Tails' muzzle. The blue blur walked over to Tails, who was getting over to the kitchen. He inspected the cut, in which Tails turned away harshly. "Hey..."

"I'm fine, Sonic." Tails grumbled, walking away from him. Sonic almost felt disheartened from the action Tails took. He grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Tails, at least let me help you. That mark looks... bad." Sonic said, worried about Tails' health. The fox touched it and hissed inwardly, feeling it burn from the inside.

"It's just a cut. Won't do anything worse..."

Sonic sighed, unable to do anything unless his lil' bro wants him to. He didn't want to invade whatever Tails has left. "I know you're smarter than this, Tails. It could get infected, or it can get worse by-"

Tails cringed at that thought. "DON'T." he cut him off. Sonic nearly suggesting something he didn't want. "Okay, fine, you can deal with the cut."

"Just because I get to treat your wound, doesn't mean I'm happy." Sonic said, getting the first aid kit. Tails rolled his eyes, knowing that Sonic was trying to shame him. "I don't want you to get too cocky, or worse break something. You could've been badly hurt."

"You know I could take worse..." Tails trailed away to a forgotten memory.

Sonic was surprised that Tails would even point that out. "Well, I don't want you in that state again!"

"Okay, _mom_." Tails joked, letting Sonic treat the cut. He hissed in pain as Sonic applied the disinfectant. (**I'm so sorry to anyone who actually knows how to treat wounds. I'm very inexperienced with this type of thing.**)

"Do you want this thing to happen again?" Sonic asked. "Because it looks like you don't want this to happen again."

"What I don't want, is to feel the pain in your way of treating wounds." Tails hissed, putting his anger from the pain on Sonic.

"What can I say? No pain, no gain." Sonic said, ending with his signature smirk.

"That's beside the point, Sonic." Tails replied, rolling his eyes.

"Where I see it, it's really accurate to what I'm saying." Sonic responded, finishing with a band-aid on Tails' muzzle.

Tails' left cheek had a band-aid on, and it didn't bother Tails. What bothered him was that Sonic started to act more like a mother than a brother. He would always protect him instead of going out there with him. Just because Eggman doesn't attack anymore, doesn't mean Sonic could just relax. Tails proved that Eggman's disappearance put an effect on the city's inhabitants. The people think they aren't bad, because they aren't as evil as Eggman.

Tails was about to enter the kitchen, when Sonic intervened and entered first. "I'm preparing breakfast, so you could wait in the living room."

Tails just walked a few meters, and BAM, he reached the living room. He laid back on the couch, getting a remote control to turn on the TV. Once it was on, he first saw a news flash about-

"_-Two people who had been taken into custody for trying to rob a jewellery store. We didn't know who this mystery hero is, but I just hope he is on our side. On other news-_" Tails swtiched the channel, uninterested with the other news.

After a few minutes, Sonic came into the living room with a plate full of chili dogs. Tails raised an eyebrow, staring at Sonic who was enjoying the breakfast. The fox sighed, taking one and eating it. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

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><p>Sonic sighed, he remembered about the days he and Tails would just defeat Eggman. Now, he was lazing off while Tails does all the work. The fox works as a hero and a mechanic, both jobs burnt his energy. All Sonic did was do whatever he could do to keep Tails healthy. Sonic often goes out to run, which gave Tails some space, but today wasn't the day.<p>

He remembered that he ran every other minute. Now, he isn't doing that.

Tails was in the garage, working on the biplane. Or Sonic _thought_ he was working on the biplane. Tails had used less of the technology since Sonic stopped doing the heroics. It seemed like a coincidence when the two switched places simultaneously.

Whatever Tails had done, had always result to some groundbreaking information. Now, there was none of that. It seemed like another Universe to everyone else. Knuckles kept guarding the Master Emerald, while Rouge tried to take it. Shadow was still enigmatic. Amy was still lovesick. Blah, blah, blah.

Eggman remained in the shadows.

...

Tails pulled out two Chaos Emeralds from a glass case. He was ready to experiment something. The question of whether he's able to be the hero, or if Sonic still stays better. The red and blue jewels held power, that Tails knew. He knew you could absorb this energy from the Chaos Emerald, either good or bad.

"Well, this is it. The test I've been looking forward to." Tails said to himself. He placed the two Emeralds on both his hands, and immediately felt positive energy coursing through his veins. "This is incredible! It feels different than when I used it. Probably because I wasn't the host..."

He chuckled, gaining power from a near-endless source was amazing! He felt more alive at this point than his lifetime. Well, count out those times he almost beat Sonic in a race. Tails had lost his sense of time, as he enjoyed getting a power overdose.

The power he had in him, he never knew. This test proves he was destined to be a hero, even though there weren't any prophecies linking Tails to be. The Chaos Energy he felt in his hands, he could save the world. Destroy those who seek destruction and save the innocent from darkness.

He had the power to choose whether he wanted someone to live or die. He could end all life on this miserable planet full of weaklings and claim the better against Sonic-

A spark lit in his mind, and he instantly shook the Chaos Emeralds off his hands. He gasped at it, his breaking point. He almost lost his sanity there. He took a few shaky breaths, frightened by what he held just now. His pupils shrunk, and he sunk into the corner of the room, hyperventilating.

Sonic burst into the room, after sensing the surge of power in it. He first saw Tails in his condition and ran to him. The fox curled into a ball, shivering at the amount of power he held.

"Tails?!" Sonic called his name, worried.

He glanced at the red and blue Chaos Emeralds, glowing fiercely and lit the room with chaos. He took a moment to look at the room, which looked like a tornado crashed into it. He held Tails close to him, and rubbed his back to soothe him. He might have acted harsh before, but he was still _his_ baby brother.

"Tails... did you..." Sonic tried to ask, until he saw Tails crying. He stopped himself there, and focused on helping him. Tails whimpered, as Sonic rocked him back and forth, like a baby.

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><p>(<strong>I had all this in italic, but it was confusing to read, so I had to revert it back to normal.<strong>)

_Flashback..._

"Eggman's going down!" a blue hedgehog, no older than 10, cheered himself on.

Sonic trotted in the forest, enthusiastically. He was excited to go on a run, and beat Robotnik in his face again. That was, until he heard a certain cry for help. He stopped his fast-paced walk and focused more on the cry. He thought it might've been some of the animals that Egg-head had captured, so he tried to pinpoint where the sound was.

He silently followed a trail of footprints, which are small fox paw-prints. He followed it into the forest, trailing away from the path he took. Through the path, there were some branches that were torn off and some red liquid that had been smeared on the trees. He silently walked, hoping it was some kind of paint, and that he wasn't following a murder trail.

The cry was getting louder, but still, only a slight groan to human ears. Sonic's hearing capabilities were far better than a human, so it was much more easier for him to track down the wail. He finally came to the end point, and was horrified by what he saw.

_Oh no..._ He thought.

A young two-tailed fox, driven into the dirt. He had cuts and bruises marked all over his body, and he was bleeding profusely on his tails. Sonic could hear him, only a few feet away. His breathing was shallow, and his body lay on the dirt. The hedgehog instantly fell to the ground, trying to help the poor fox. It was in his conscience to help anybody in need, even if this creature had an extra tail.

Questions raced through the hedgehog's mind. _Where are his parents? Should I get a doctor right now!? Am I seeing things? Please tell me that's not real..._

"H-Help me... P-Please..." the fox pleaded, using all his might. There was liquid leaking through his eyes. Sonic found out he was crying through all this. "Don't... hurt me..."

"I-I'll get help!" Sonic promised and was about to go off.

"Please... stay..." the wounded fox said, causing Sonic to falter.

He obliged, and stayed with the fox. At this rate, he was going to die. Sonic could've ran to a hospital and bring a doctor back in a few seconds. He didn't realize that. The helpless fox turned him weak. His legs were like jelly when he saw him.

"I can get you to a doctor in a few seconds..." Sonic said, but wasn't sure about the 'few seconds' part. He was about to get him, but the fox cringed away.

"N-No! He-He'll take me! He'll put me into those cages! I don't wanna..." the fox stopped, his breathing undefined. It fainted, but Sonic thought otherwise. The hedgehog contemplated at the fox's words.

_He'll take me? He'll put me into those cages?_ Sonic thought, repeating the kitsune's words in his mind.

Unfortunately, he'd been thinking for too long.

"Oh no..." Sonic murmured. "I... need to get him out of here. Quick!"

Sonic gathered up all his courage and carried the fox in his arms. He was light, but that didn't mean it wouldn't slow Sonic down. The hedgehog ran from the spot, fox in his arms, and in 30 seconds, he entered the hospital.

"Quick!-I-need-a-doctor-now!" Sonic spoke in a fast manner. The nurses were shocked at the fox's critical condition and started to bring a stretcher. He placed the fox in it, and the doctors zoomed off.

Sonic stood there, his body and arms smeared with blood. The kitsune's blood.

He stayed in the hospital, waiting for the fox's results.

...For 3 days.

"It's a miracle he still lived. It's impossible for such a young 2-year-old to pull through-" the doctor was cut off by Sonic.

"2 years old?"

The doctor and the hedgehog stood around the fox's room. The blue hedgehog was infuriated. The fox he had saved was 2 years old? Who could've possibly put him into that state? He thought about it, and learnt from the hints.

_'He-He'll take me! He'll put me into those cages!'_

_'He'._

_'Cages'._

"Robotnik..." Sonic gritted his teeth. The doctor was surprised at the hedgehog's demeanor, and back away from him. "I'm going to kill him."

"K-Kill?" the doctor stuttered.

"No. I'm going to kick him... in the gut." Sonic lied. He peered over to the fox, who was wrapped in bandages and casts. There was also a special cast for his tails. The fox was sound asleep, exhausted from everything. "How long has he been out?"

"Ever since you got here. But we still sedated him." the doctor answered. "We didn't know what the extra tail could've done, so we did it just in case."

"How long till he wakes?" Sonic asked.

"In a few hours I suppose." the doctor answered. Sonic walked into the room and waited in one of the chairs. "Uh, sir, I don't recommend you sitting there, visiting times are over..."

Sonic glared at him, and the doctor shut his mouth. He closed the door and walked away. Sonic stayed in there for a few minutes, and the lights in the room were still on. That, he was grateful for. The fox's eyes opened weakly, and once he regained his vision, his eyes darted everywhere. He couldn't move freely. _Is this a contraption from the doctor?_

Sonic was amazed that the fox was already awake. "H-Hello?" Sonic greeted.

The fox recognized that voice. It was the the voice of that blue hedgehog that helped him! He looked for his voice, and found him sitting on a chair. The hedgehog scooted closer. The kitsune didn't respond, and stayed there, muted.

"I'm Sonic... the Hedgehog." he said as he pointed at himself. "And who are you?"

Tails stared at the hedgehog for a few seconds, thinking if it was okay to give his name. Sonic waited for him to reply. He knew he wasn't mute, he heard him cry for help. Or, maybe the doctors made him mute, that thought made him angry. _Okay... where are his parents?_

"Miles Prower." he finally answered.

Then, a brotherly relationship started.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay... yes, I changed some things. The Author's Notes in this chapter.**

**You have now seen Chapter 1! It's not impressive, but continue reading on! I insist. You'll be reading mostly garbage, but it's still good. There will be awesome-ness headed your way, I swear to Nazo.**

**I'll update this whenever anything finishes.**


	2. Destined Chaos Energy User

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

**_Destined Chaos Energy User_**

After a long day of calming Tails down, the fox cried himself to sleep, even though Sonic was there with him. The hedgehog had been exhausted the moment Tails had fallen to sleep. And he knew something wasn't right. He walked into the garage, staring at the two powerful jewels. The Chaos Emeralds were still glowing.

"What happened here?" Sonic asked nobody in particular. He could sense Chaos Energy everywhere, it was shot off when someone activated them. He was able to sense Chaos Energy when he first used a Chaos Emerald. There was a connection, then -poof- instant Chaos Energy detector. "Tails..."

He could feel the Chaos Emeralds focusing their Chaos Energy at a direction... which was heading to his room... where Tails was sleeping. Sonic's eyes widened at this, and grabbed the Chaos Emeralds away from the house. Whatever made him breakdown had to come from the Chaos Emeralds. They emitted Chaos Energy like the sun. But this sun didn't direct it's energy anywhere, only at Tails.

"They're still giving?" Sonic asked, running away from the house. At this point he was running for a minute, and already 10 miles away from the house, and it's _still_ connecting to him? "Oh, crud..."

He ran away, running over the sea. He wouldn't normally do this, but if it's his brother we're talking about, he would. He found land again, running on that with blazing speed. He's been running for 10 minutes, and he sped up with each second. He ran just over 700 miles.*****

The hedgehog stopped when he reached a mountain. Still, the Chaos Energy was directing at Tails. It was like a broken switch. You couldn't turn it off, but you could turn it on. However, Sonic used the Chaos Emeralds before, even going Super with all 7. And it still didn't direct power at him aimlessly, he had to force it to. How could 2 Chaos Emeralds keep doing this to Tails, when it couldn't happen to him?

"How? HOW?!" Sonic snapped. It's been a _long_ time since he last ran, and he's already breaking records with this one. He didn't know about the fundamental laws of Chaos Energy, but this just isn't possible! Maybe he should break it...

He threw the stones at the ground, stomping on them repeatedly. He didn't care about anything in the world, except for his brother... and his friends.

Wait, how's he doing?

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><p>Tails woke up in a snap, unable to process what just happened. He also managed to forget what happened a few minutes ago. He got out of the bed and ran out of the room. The fox recognized the place and already knew he came out of Sonic's room. He ran to the garage and found it in a mess, also noticing that the 2 emeralds were gone.<p>

"Oh no... Sonic's going to kill me!" Tails muttered, frightened at what Sonic would do if he lost the Chaos Emeralds. He ran into the room that had been radiated by extreme Chaos Energy.

In one step...

He felt a sharp power penetrating his skull. Or he thought it was breaking into his skull. It's working it's way through his whole body, while giving Tails a migraine. He grabbed his head in pain, and dropped to the floor. That made it even worse, as he absorbed even more Chaos Energy into his body. The level of Chaos Energy in the room lessened, but the amount of power Tails held was horrifying.

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!-!" Tails held his head, trying to prevent it from exploding. He tried to get out, but he felt heavier. _Much_ heavier. It was like setting the gravity to 100. His blood carried Chaos Energy, making it harder for him to lift himself up. Well, at least he thought that was the case.

_The Chaos Energy must be- AAAHHHHhh- in my bloodstream. And it's power is so- RRRAAAAHHHHH- great, each particle of the Chaos Energy in my blood is heavy. My body's absorbing everything, and it's making me heavier..._ Tails theorized inwardly.

"AAAHHHHHH... AAHHHHHH!" Tails screamed, feeling sharp pokes through his skin. His body was absorbing so much Chaos Energy, he was going to explode if he takes more. He gasped for air whenever he could, but the pain won't cease. There was a way he knew that could bring him off the floor, and stop him from gaining so much Chaos Energy.

Chaos Control.

But, could he even use it? If he could, where would he end up?

Only one way to find out...

"**CHAOS CONTROL!**" Tails commanded.

In some ways, Chaos Control can bend space and time. At this point, he could slow down time, or teleport by bending the space between him and one location. He would be able to reach wherever he wants to be during the period of time, but it will zap the Chaos Energy out of him. That's what he wanted.

Bending space and time, he headed for help.

But, he had so much Chaos Energy, he overshot where he was supposed to go.

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><p>Knuckles could feel something whiz past him. A blinding light zoomed beside him. From what Knuckles had seen, he saw a glimpse of Tails. But that couldn't be, if he sensed a large amount of Chaos Energy, that was only able to be sensed if there were 2 Chaos Emeralds.<p>

The red echidna stood there, on the floating island, debating on whether he should follow or not.

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><p>"Stay right there!" a black, red-striped, hedgehog yelled, shooting a wave of green energy in one hand. The blast struck besides a guy's head, who gulped in fear. It almost killed the guy that he was tracking down. A white bat ran to his side, gasping for air.<p>

"You _had_ to leave me in the dust." Rouge complained. Shadow stayed stoic and confronted the guy in front of him.

"Now, you could either come with me, or I'll shoot a bullet through your chest. I'm supposed to capture you, dead or alive." Shadow stated coldly, obviously lying about the 'I can kill you' part. He took out a gun from... his quills?******

He cocked the gun, aiming at the guy's chest.

"I'm waiting." Shadow said.

_CRASH!_

"What the-" Rouge craned her head to the sound, and found a hole on two sides of the room. She walked to it, investigating the damage. The hole originally came from the right one, and came crashing into the left. Because the right one had no hole to begin with, and the left seemed to have a never-ending hole, from this room to the other, till Station Square.

"Alright. Talk." Shadow demanded, sinking the gun into the guy's chest.

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><p>Tails tumbled through, crashing through the walls. If it weren't for the Chaos Energy, he'd be severely injured. Not dead, because he doesn't believe he could die. He struck the concrete road, creating a small dent trail with his body. The people that were there were incredulous by Tails' sudden appearance.<p>

The fox stood up, rubbing his head. "Ugh... This isn't where I'm supposed to be..." he muttered, almost falling down from the impact. His body actually had a slow reaction to the pain, and it was because of the Chaos Energy, that made the pain lesser.

He groaned, falling to the ground. His eyes darted all over the place, trying to find anyone he knew.

A sudden tug pulled Tails' waist backwards from his spot. "Huh? What?!" Tails yammered, knowing that there wasn't anyone pulling him. He looked back towards the a jewelry shop and his pupils shrunk at it. Put on display: a yellow Chaos Emerald.

It glowed brightly and seemed to have a magnetic pull on Tails. He struggled to get out of it, walking away from the store. His shoes screeched, pulling him toward the Chaos Emerald.

"No... No, no, no!" Tails repeated, struggling to get out of it's hold. "Chaos Energy must have a magnetic-like personality, that's why it pulled me down, because most of it had been accumulated there!"

He theorized again, a great answer to the Chaos Energy. But is that really the correct answer? He tried to latch onto something, and everybody staring was confused by this.

Suddenly, something grabbed Tails' hand.

But something was off...

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!-!" Tails screamed yet again, feeling Chaos Energy lurking in his body again.

"Wha-?" Knuckles could feel his power strengthen, and Tails was somehow getting electrocuted by his iron grip. "T-Tails!" he cried worriedly, pulling him away from the Chaos Emerald. He let go, but found out Tails' arm was sticking to him.

Tails was absorbing the Chaos Energy that had formed around Knuckles. He was going to explode if he stayed with the echidna for any longer. Tails tried to pry his arm from Knuckles, feeling the burns and stings on his arm. Knuckles plucked Tails from his hand with his free arm, only to be stuck to his back.

"What were you experimenting with?! Superglue!?" Knuckles asked, unable to get trid of Tails.

"DAAAAAHHHHHHHhhh- I experimented with the Chaos Emeralds!" Tails confessed, trying to get off of Knuckles. The magnetic bond of Chaos Energy glued them together. Knuckles was about to pry him off again, until Tails intervened. "Don't touch me! AAAAHHHHH!"

There was a Chaos Energy field around Knuckles, and it was getting drained away. It didn't affect Knuckles in any way because the Chaos Energy shield wasn't a part of him. It was from the prolonged exposure of the Master Emerald, creating an aura around Knuckles that protected him from harm. And it had _weakened_ him.

Unexpectedly, Tails dropped from Knuckles' hand, after receiving the payment of Chaotic torture. The Chaos Energy had filled Tails' body, created a green aura. It was an aura that showed that he was at the limit of his Chaos Energy absorption, and if he intakes any more, he'll either face pain or explode.

He still can't die either way, which mostly results in pain.

"Huh? I feel... _stronger_." Knuckles remarked, contemplating at his hands. Tails brought his head up, sweating bullets. He had his eyes shut, and he shivered constantly, with green electricity surrounding him. His hands had electricity around it, showing his power and how high the limit actually was.

His eyes finally open, revealing inky black eyes, shiny light-blue irises and black pupils. A lot of people had their mouths agape and some gasped at Tails, thinking that he had been possessed. In his mind, he thought he was in full control over his actions. But then, there was this Chaos Energy Influence, that made Tails _think_ he had full control, but _actually_ Tails' hidden alter ego had revealed itself for the first time.

"MOVE, KNUCKLES!"

Knuckles thought his reaction was fast enough. He was too slow. The echidna backflipped, but Tails had caught his leg. The fox spun him around and threw him into the concrete road. Knuckles felt more pain than usual, because the Chaos Energy shield that protected him was gone. But, Knuckles made up for it by being stronger and faster.

Before Tails' red and white shoe stepped into his face, the echidna rolled away, letting the fox drive his foot deep into the ground. Knuckles arched back his left arm, and quickly knocked his left hand into the two-tailed kitsune's face. Tails recovered using his namesakes to twirl around and hover. And... accidentally shot a wave of Chaos Energy from his tails into a lamppost.

Knuckles stepped away to get some space, amazed by his slight jab. While Tails, on the other hand, had smirked at what he had just done. The fox shot his right palm at Knuckles' direction, shooting a ring-shaped Energy wave. Knuckles sidestepped and punched Tails in the bandaged cheek, ripping the bandage off as well.

"Uh, eww..." Knuckles said, looking at the wound that Tails had. It was from the bullet that was aiming for him yesterday, he was too slow to avoid the wind around the bullet. The wind sliced his muzzle and that was how he got it. It was going to heal, not actually going to be a scar. What was Knuckles looking at? The lime-green liquid that was oozing from his face. "Is that Chaos Energy? In your blood?"

Tails could only grin maliciously. Unfortunately for Knuckles, Tails was too fast from being charged by Chaos Energy. And he left his right fist in Knuckles' gut.

"Oww..." Knuckles groaned, feeling his stomach turn in. He raised his right fist and landed a punch in Tails' face. "Okay! Enough playing games! I _will_ attack more violently if _you_ keep this up!" Knuckles warned. The attack he struck Tails with only stunned him, but it did little to no damage against him.

"**Oh. So, you're holding back?**" Tails asked, but instead of his real voice, there was a deeper voice. A demonic voice. Knuckles was startled by the sudden vocal change, but regained his composure after a second. A lone sweat drop formed on Knuckles' head.

* * *

><p>"WHERE DID HE GO?!" a blue hedgehog yelled. His voice echoed through the room, into the whole house and outside. He came back, running for 10 minutes straight, only to find that Tails had disappeared. Where did he go? He sensed for some unusual Chaos Energy activity, and found a huge power. It had the energy of like... 3 and a half Chaos Emeralds.<p>

But, the garage, there's no Chaos Energy. Only little remnants. And that place had at least the power of 2 Chaos Emeralds, and it's gone!

He ran out of the house and ran towards the energy that emitted 10 minutes from Sonic's place. And that's calculating Sonic's speed. Station Square was really far away from his place, and he didn't lie if it took him 20 minutes before. Now, he'll have to push even harder, maybe get there in 8 minutes.

He ran to it, and the countdown starts.

* * *

><p>Countdown:<span> 9:57...<span>

"Is that... your voice from now on? 'Cause it's kinda creepy." Knuckles remarked, his guard still up. Tails chuckled with the demonic voice and crossed his arms, startling Knuckles again.

"**If you don't mind...**" Tails trailed away, glancing at the yellow Chaos Emerald.

"Hah! What can you do with that? You don't show-" And that's when Knuckles felt it. The Chaos Energy emanating from him. "Oh... _crap_..."

The red echidna dived into the jewelry store, trying to keep the Chaos Emerald away from Tails. But the fox interrupted his only winning attempt by kicking into his sternum. Knuckles flew away from the attack and lay on the floor, stunned. Tails floated to the ground, hovering by his namesakes.

His hand crackled with intensifying green electricity, as he got closer to the yellow Chaos Emerald. Before, it had a magnetic pull on him. Now, at full limit of his Chaos Energy, he had none of that. His hand lightly touched the glass, already creating spiderweb cracks on it. He pushed further and broke the whole window. He grabbed the Chaos Emerald, feeling it's power in him again.

This time, there was no pain. Being influenced by the thing itself, his limited Chaos Energy peaked. And he shattered that limit. He laughed crazily as he fueled himself of power, power he could've gained _years_ ago.

His devastating, green aura shimmered like a fire as electricity sparked around him. The lampposts around him connected with his electricity, and they bursted upon inspection.

Tails let the yellow Chaos Emerald drop to the floor, after acquiring it's power.

...8:57...

"**Let's start again.**"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

***** - Yeah, I used a calculator and sped Sonic up by adding 341 m/s each minute that had gone by.****

****** - **Everyone's saying that these people pull crap outta their quills, I'm not buyin' it! But for plot convenience, I'll leave it like that.******

**If you're confused, I use bold for author's notes, attack names and some of the character's demonic voices, but I do it sometimes... I feel uncomfortable with the underlines, just not my sort of thing. The underlines as you can tell is the countdown till Sonic gets there.**

**Are you ready for a '4.5 Chaos Emerald Energy-infused' Tails vs Shadow or Sonic? Well...**


	3. Absorption Madness

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. I wrote this story and only own the plot. The OCs are... Wait, they haven't appeared yet. So, I don't need an argument yet.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I think it's a little too late to mention this, but I kind of think this story as my own Sonic Universe. (Like me being a God and being able to do anything in this story, that sort of thing. Recreating characters to fit, enabling people to die and live whenever I want...) It'll get weirder in Chapter... 6? Yes, 6.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

**_Absorption Madness_**

8:49

The city had been wrecked in one place, and it was in a battle between a fox and an echidna. The guardian of the Master Emerald and the two-tailed prodigy. Knuckles tried to get up, but could only support himself with his arms. His elbows kept him up, as he imagined the image of Tails breaking him. _That_ was mortifying. His mind raced as to what he could do, surely he has a weakness somewhere...

_But his powers increased to that of 5 Chaos Emeralds! Any more and he would get 7... _Knuckles cringed inwardly. _Tails could go Super and... do whatever that evil thing possessing him wants him to do! Unless I stop him, here and now!_

Knuckles rolled over, and lifted himself up with his arms. Then pushing himself up with his legs. Tails smirked cockily at the echidna, who thought he was going to defeat him. The mere thought of it made him cackle.

_But, this is Tails! He would never do such a thing. _Knuckles argued in his head, obviously getting frustrated if he should crank it up.

"**AH-HAHAHAHA! I know I said we should begin again, but seriously?**" Tails finished with an evil grin, one that he couldn't pull off because he was too innocent to. Knuckles shivered with fear, what kind of power did _he_ actually hold?

"Stopping you is the least of my worries!" Knuckles lied, knowing that he left the Master Emerald unguarded.

Tails could only feel superior to the lowly beings of the planet. He could simply knock him down until his spirit breaks. He could see if Knuckles would break in which part first: his body or his mind? Something snapped in him, knowing something. His alter ego bent space using Chaos Energy to teleport to Knuckles, but he overshot, leading him to Station Square. If Knuckles appeared here and even out of nowhere in this short amount of time, then what was guarding the Master Emerald?

_That was a stupid, reckless _and_ foolish move!_ Knuckles barked at himself inwardly.

Tails sneered as he knew what Knuckles was thinking. "**The Master Emerald... unguarded?**"

Knuckles back away from him. When did he learn that information?

"**What kind of guardian are you, Knuckles?**" Tails asked, his smile turning into a frown. He was dissatisfied with the echidna's decision. Knuckles should've never came here in the first place.

In the span of a few milliseconds, Tails grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up. The echidna swore he could see Tails pleading for help in those eyes, but that thought was swept away when Tails displayed cold, sadistic eyes. The fox slammed him into the road, letting the floor tremble from his might. Knuckles could feel himself slip, but he held on because he saw something...

A green blast hit Tails square on the back, scratching his fur. The fox turned slowly to face the newcomer, and glared daggers at him. "**The _ultimate_ life form...**" Tails greeted.

_Tails!? _Shadow thought. _Tails held that power? But, how?!_

"**As you can see, I'm busy tearing the city with Knuckles-**" The echidna swayed his head sideways repeatedly, his action screaming out 'NNNOOOOOO'. "**-and you've broken my concentration-**"

"_Concentration_?" Shadow inquired, "If anything, I blasted you with the power of a full Chaos Emerald."

"**And is that _all_ you've got?**" Tails asked, throwing the echidna away. This black and red hedgehog will suffice for his entertainment.

"Please, I've got plenty of tricks. So, don't underestimate me." Shadow said, pulling out a green Chaos Emerald. Tails' eyes focused on this. Shadow seemed to notice it like it was as clear as day. _Why does he want the Chaos Emerald?_

"**Sorry, I already have.**" Tails apologized.

That's when Shadow teleported behind him and roundhouse kicked. The attack hit Tails behind the head, and the latter crashed into the road. The gravel piercing Tails did no effect on him, seeing that he absorbed way too much Chaos Energy. Tails jumped up from the newly created crater and flew towards Shadow using his namesakes. Shadow put on a defensive stance and blocked a punch that Tails had thrown. Tails continued to attack, relentlessly. Shadow had trouble blocking and dodging, as a bead of sweat rolled down his face.

_I could say he's faster than Sonic!_ Shadow thought grimly. _If that's the case, then I better work on my speed as well!_

Shadow stopped his defensive responses and counterattacked. He punched Tails in the face, causing the fox to bring his head back up in order to see Shadow. The fox kicked him in the waist, but Shadow was fast enough to catch it. He threw his leg away, and Tails had to regain his balance.

"**It looks like you're on par with me.**" Tails remarked, staggering.

"_On_ _par?_" Shadow chuckled, "You are no match for me, the _ultimate_ life form!"

Tails used this time to summon up his Chaos Energy. Shadow noticed this and grasped the green Chaos Emerald tightly in his hand. There was no telling what could happen next. Tails's green aura enlarged, and his blue irises brightened. He put his arms as a cross, typically like how characters power-up in the... thing. Well, that '_thing_' influenced this story, okay?

"**I say we need bigger space...**" Tails recommended, channelling his energy into a single point on his body. Shadow's eyes widened in fear.

"You can't be serious!" Shadow exclaimed. Tails snickered.

"**Chaos...**" Tails began, the red particles swirling around him.

"I hope you're ready for this..." Shadow told the green Chaos Emerald.

Tails stretched out his arms, and the red particles dispersed. "**BLA-**"

"**Chaos Control!**"

Shadow and Tails vanished. Knuckles couldn't help but just stand in the sidelines. "I was able to rival Sonic, and now..." The echidna looked down at himself. "I couldn't even beat Tails! It's either Sonic is weaker than him, or someone in another realm is playing tricks on me-"

BOWUUM!

The ground shook in despair, everyone covered themselves for any damage. Good thing nothing of the blast hit them. Knuckles hurried and picked up the yellow Chaos Emerald, before going to the battle destination. He could feel himself getting weaker again, but he didn't know why. The Chaos Emerald provided him a shield, as the guardian of the Master Emerald. But he didn't know that.

6:32

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><p>A sandy desert was the place of the bombing. The explosion hit a few miles in radius, and it's impact on the place was devastating. It shook the ground, and it's power that radiated was Chaos Energy. It did wonders, like not creating glass in the process of the explosion. Shadow couldn't have escaped from the blast, but he did shield himself. Tails stood in the epicenter of the crater, arms stretched out.<p>

The fox looked around for his victim, unable to locate him. The hedgehog's body was nowhere to be found, much to Tails' joy. Little did he know, Shadow unintentionally shortened the time of Sonic's arrival by a few minutes, by teleporting them away from Station Square. They were in the middle of Sonic's predestined way.

After a few glances, making sure Shadow was dead, he swerved the dust clouds away to further prove his claims. He was correct: he found the corpse. A few meters away, since the blast pushed him, was a black hedgehog with even more red stripes. Bleeding heavily, the hedgehog was considered dead anyways.

What he forgot, was that Shadow had the green Chaos Emerald.

He walked away, and faced Knuckles. The echidna got there so fast it was almost impossible. Sonic should've came earlier than him, how'd _he_ get here? He knew that Knuckles hadn't used Chaos Control, that'd be stupid. One of the only ways would be teleportation, but how?

"**I don't know how you got here, _Knuckles_.**" he hissed, "**But I'll make sure you won't be able to do whatever you did to get here so quickly.**" Tails raised his right arm at him, calling energy to a fixed point in his palm.

Knuckles stood there, almost as if he's deliberately mocking him. Every second he stays there, unharmed, just infuriates Tails.

"I've had enough! Behold, the freakin'-**wait, what the?!**" the fox yelled angrily at himself, not thinking straightly. Even his voice changed from demonic to normal for a second there. "**Nevermind! Solar Blast Cannon!**"

He shot the green blast at Knuckles, who leapt over the attack quite easily, which angered Tails. "You talk too much." Knuckles remarked, landing perfectly on his feet. Tails bared his fangs and swiped his head to the side, a vein appearing on his right temple.

"**I could say the same for you.**" Tails replied, gaining his demonic voice back.

Knuckles then thought of something. "Hey, how are rainbows made?"

"**That's easy. Although I do not possess the full knowledge as Tails-**" The two-tailed kitsune arched his head back, seeing as though Knuckles tried to kick him in the head. Knuckles spun around and tried to kick again, which resulted in Tails catching his foot. "**I do know that it came from the reflection of the water that-hey, wait a sec.**" He did a double take, glancing at Knuckles' leg. It seems that even though he didn't see it coming, his reflexes activated subconsciously.

"A reflex action? From Tails?" Knuckles said, a bit impressed.

"**Hmph, my counterpart has reflexes? Fascinating.**" the fox commented, "**Wonder where he got that from...**"

"Tails! Snap out of it!" Knuckles tried, also using the tactic: 'hit first, talk later', for some reason. The fox chuckled at first, then made a full cackle.

"**Tails is gone! There is only Miles Prower!**" Miles laughed.

"That's the same thing..."

"**Shut up.**"

* * *

><p><span>2:26<span>

Shadow groaned, prepping himself up. He held the Chaos Emerald in his hand titghtly, hoping it would undo the internal damage he had. The attack Tails pulled on him was different than the one he used. It was more... casual._ I used it when I don't have any attacks left, while he used it to level a city. _Shadow thought grimly. _Just, what kind of person does that?_

He pulled himself off of the new debris that settled on him. While he's done that, the Chaos Emerald started to heal him, it's essence sinking into his wounds. After that, he staggered around, dizzy. "How much damage did he _do_ to me?" he asked, "After healing with a Chaos Emerald, it gave aftereffects."

_Wait..._ Shadow thought. _He didn't take the Chaos Emerald._

His frown broke into a grin as he aimed his attacks at the kitsune. "I've got you now..."

Knuckles clashed with Miles once again, his endurance ranked up while his attacks do some sort of damage to the fox. Irritating him. Miles went for a straight uppercut, knocking Knuckles into the sky. He vanished on the ground and materialized in the air above him, preparing a double axe handle. Knuckles recovered quickly and double kicked Miles further into the sky, while he landed back on the ground.

Miles brought his Chaos Energy and used it to his liking. "**Chaos Control!**" He bent the space between him and Knuckles, stepping just beside him. Time and space went back to normal and to Knuckles it looked like the fox magically appeared in front of him. As a normal response, Knuckles threw a punch and it crashed into Miles' jaw, stunning the fox. But before he was ever stunned, Miles kicked up, smashing it into Knuckles' chest. But, Knuckles had more endurance and was able to recover more quickly than Miles.

He kicked Miles in the waist, causing the fox to spin around. Miles used his twin tails to smack Knuckles for a bit, before creating a tornado made of Chaos Energy.

"**Try this: Chaos Hurricane!**" he yelled, letting his tails stop twirling and the tornado start moving.

The green tornado gathered up the contents of sand around it, turning it into dust. Knuckles leapt into the air, keeping away from the Chaos-reinforced hurricane. Miles had also flew into the air, cautious with his own attack.

"How 'bout this!? **Chaos Spear!**" Shadow shouted, shooting volleys of energy arrows in Miles' direction. The fox had to maneuver himself around the attacks, trying to not get scorched by the energy. Shadow stopped firing and lifted himself into the air with his hover shoes, gaining aerial advantage since he does not use energy to fly. "Stop that tornado!"

"**Really?**" Tails asked, unsatisfied with the Ultimate Life Form's task. He rushed at Shadow, showing his palm in front of him. He ignited his aura, letting electric sparks fly by. "**Of all the things you could've commanded to do, it _had_ to be stopping the tornado?**"

Knuckles saw this opening and attacked him with a punch, but Miles grabbed it without noticing and threw him into the tornado. The fox and the echidna were amazed by what the body did as a reflex. Knuckles had vanished in the tornado, and the great winds stopped as well.

"**Hm. That happened.**"

"My turn!" Shadow yelled, rushing him. Miles turned to face the hedgehog, but was too slow to counter the kick. Shadow landed his shoe in Miles' face, and it's impact was so great it created a shockwave. Shadow grabbed Miles' head and head-butted him, marking a bruise on his head. He wasn't done yet. Shadow raised his other leg into Miles' chin, and it made Shadow look like a doll because his knee almost touched his shoulder. Shadow waited for Miles to get pulled by gravity and he brought the heel of his shoe into the back of the fox's head.

But there was a detail none of them noticed. After Shadow's head-butt, Miles' eyes turned back to white, but when Shadow gave the strike from behind the head, Miles' eyes turned to black. Blood drizzled from Miles' mouth, and forehead. But his skull had endured the injury of the heel strike. Shadow threw a punch at Miles' face, but it was caught by the latter midway.

Miles' was done playing around, as shown by the aggressive features on his face. With a growl, he sent a devastating blow into Shadow's ribs, breaking a few of them. Shadow felt his lungs implode, and he sputtered out air. A few seconds later, blood rose from Shadow's throat and leaked down his chin. He kept an arm wrapped around his torso, while his other hand rubbed the bloodied chin away, staining his gloves.

There was no time for feeling pain. He needed to take Miles down!

Miles grinned and put more force into his attacks. Shadow was still on an even playing field with him, even though the fox had the power of 4 and a half Chaos Emeralds. Shadow was more powerful than Sonic, he knew that. Sonic wouldn't be able to do whatever Shadow dealt to him, but he _could_ do something else.

Miles was going to hit him, until a force made him break away from Shadow. The black hedgehog had his arm raised at him, like he was shooting an attack at him. There was nothing... it was invisible! Miles was hit force after force, unable to break away from Shadow's string of attacks. When did he plan this to happen? Shadow grinned as the fox felt desperation come onto him. His body wouldn't take anymore, he would pass out!

Miles created a barrier around him, electricity roaming around the place. Shadow's attacks had stopped, and Shadow focused on other tactics. The green Chaos Emerald flew around him, giving him the energy to attack. All he needed to do was think of an attack.

...

_JUST _HOW_ HARD IS IT!? To think of an attack?!_ Shadow yelled in his mind.

Miles sped at him, arching his fist back. This was his last chance before he falls unconscious. Shadow stopped tending to himself and pushed his two arms out at him. He had no more power to hold himself up, and this was his final attack at Miles. Little did they know, they were at even odds.

Miles threw a fist at Shadow, who looked like his defences were gone and he punched straight into him. His arm had gone through Shadow's stomach, and his eyes rolled back. A strangled gasp escaped the Ultimate Life Form's mouth, followed by blood spluttering out of his mouth. He was no more.

Miles killed him.

"**Bye-bye, the 'Ultimate' Life Form.**" Miles murmured, grinning to himself.

"Bye-bye as well, 'Miles Prower'!"

Miles turned to the voice, finding Shadow unharmed. He glanced back, seeing the afterimage of Shadow disperse. Electricity crackled around the hedgehog, fueling the orb in front of him. Chaos Energy was highly concentrated into that point, and he was glad to end 'Miles Prower'. But what of Tails?

"**Noo!**"

"Grr... _Sorry, Tails!_" Shadow, somewhat, apologized. It sounded so sarcastic nobody could tell if it was real. "I've been working on this one." he explained, electricity shooting out of the white orb. "**Chaos THUNDER!**"

The orb changed shape, and shooting out of it was lightning. It zigzagged, veering to the right and to the left with each second. The afterimage stayed there, in Shadow's palms, as the real attack instantly struck Miles with enough effort to kill him. The trail of lightning faded out, and Shadow fell to the ground, Chaos Emerald following him. Mikes screamed in agony as the supreme bolt of lightning made an impact on him.

Miles was burnt and his insides sparked with each second. He fell as well, but more forceful than Shadow's landing.

* * *

><p><span>0:00<span>

Sonic arrived on the scene, missing the whole battle. He looked at the desert for a second, grimacing. He saw a giant crater, electricity flashed with each second. It was like Chaos Blast, but more destructive. More _potent_. He looked at the other way, seeing the remains of a tornado and with Knuckles laying in the center.

"Knuckles!" he cried, running to his side. There were burns and scratch marks on him. Sonic lifted his arm, feeling a pulse. "Oh, good," he panted in fear. "Still alive."

He stood up, leaving a light blue Chaos Emerald he picked up on the way beside Knuckles. It would heal him, but he needed to know what happened. That giant Chaos Signal was gone the moment he set foot on the desert. Shadow's too. He glanced around and saw Shadow laying on the floor, a green Chaos Emerald in hand.

He examined the place even further. "Shadow's okay-"

His heart stopped.

Tails lay in a crater, small compared to the others but still a crater nonetheless. He ran to him, and he cringed at the sight. Tails was battered, bloodied and burned. Just like when he first met him. The fox lay on his stomach, gloves and sneakers having burns and scratches. Their was a big bump behind his head, and there were no signs of him breathing.

"Oh no..."

He picked up Tails' wrist, checking for a pulse. He couldn't feel one. Tears leaked through his eyes, staring at the corpse of his brother. He remembered everything that happened 6 years ago when he met him. He couldn't do that now. He was certainly dead if he reached a hospital. There was no 'hospital' anywhere near him.

He held his head in his arms, caressing it. There was a sudden whimper from Tails, and Sonic's heart took a huge leap.

_Could it be? _Sonic thought.

"_Please_. Please work." Sonic cried, running to get the Chaos Emerald and back, putting it on Tails' forehead. He focused on healing Tails, and that's what the emerald did. It's essence formed around the fox, healing him.

Then, there was the scream.

"AAACK!-! AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Tails screamed, feeling his head break. Tails suddenly grasped his head, rolling sround in the sand. Sonic instantly threw the emerald away from Tails, remembering the incident from before.

"C-Crap!" Sonic stuttered. There was no use. It was healing him and breaking all at the same time. He tried to bring the emerald away from him, but it didn't work before. On instinct, he repeatedly stomped on the light blue Chaos Emerald, letting it sink into the sand. Tears overflowed his sight. "No! Not again!"

Tears streamed down his face, as he heard Tails' screams of agony echo throughout the desert. Shadow woke up from it, and saw the process of Tails. His eyes were white again, after suffering the attack head-on. Now, it was reverting back to black, with the new powers of the Chaos Emerald seeping in.

"What does Chaos want?" Shadow asked, whipping his head at the green Chaos Emerald. "What do _you_ want?"

"AAAAAAAaa**ahhhh...**" The demonic voice of Miles kicked in. And now, fully healed, he stood before Sonic in glory. "**Thanks for the energy.**"

Sonic turned to face him, fear washing over him.

"**Now, begone!**"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That last line was supposed to be "Now, die!", but due to some inconveniences, the line was changed. Seemed too rushed.**

**Let's see if I get this right... Please feel free to like(favorite), subscribe(follow) and comment(review).**

**Now, question of the day:**

**How do you think the Super forms of Sonic, Shadow or Knuckles match against _this_ Tails?**

**Or, how do you think the story is going? There is a lot going to come, and guess how I'll portray Nazo and Silver! (Yes, 'Nazo'. You know, that hedgehog who made a cameo in the Sonic-X trailer and didn't come in because of some reason. People portray him as a bad guy, and if you know my other work, I don't do that to him.)**


	4. Super

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong>AN: I feel as if the summary exaggerates. I'm messing around with it to see if I can get the better picture. And I'm also hoping that I'll redo the first few Chapters because it doesn't tie-in with the summary. The summary was actually for another story I've kept, but I didn't get to finish it and replaced it with this.**

**EDIT: I've just finished editing a few things in the first 3 Chapters. Go check what's changed.**

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><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

**_Super_**

Sonic stared in disbelief. Tails was the perpetrator all along? Just hours ago, he had to rock him to sleep! That crying memory had been muffled by that awful cackle. Sonic blinked the tears away, trying to regain confidence against this new opponent. But how could he, if his opponent is the one he was trying to save?

"**-Hehe... I forgot! It's _you_, Sonic! The one my alter ego praised...**" An evil grin crept onto his face. Sonic could never imagine something like that appear on Tails' face. "**I would _love_ to destroy you.**"

"You... _monster_!" he yelled, clenching his fists. "Let Tails GO!"

"**Monster? That's a new one.**" Miles assented.

"LET TAILS GO!" Sonic yelled again, using more force than before. _BASTARD! _"Bas... Jerk!"

"**Stop referring to me as the holder of this 'Tails' thingy. I'm Miles Prower! The destined Chaos Energy User!**" the two-tailed fox shouted, glorified by his title. Sonic just snorted and returned.

"Miles?" he asked, uncertain of what he heard. It _was_ a name, but it's gone from the books. All of it were replaced by Tails, for personal reasons. "Let Tails go this instant!" Tails, or the 'real' Miles Prower, growled at the hedgehog. Sonic gave one more push. "You're an idiot to take Tails away!" _...from me..._

"**Do you think I act as a fool? Sure, I do not compose of my sentences with the vocabulary needed as a genius, but it does not mean I am a fool. You ingrates are lucky to have me instead of poor delusional 'Tails'!**" Miles yelled, dissing his counterpart. Sonic _hated_ when people do that to _his_ brother.

"Tails is neither poor, nor delusional! He's the best little brother I could ever ask for..." he faltered a bit, before regaining his composure.

Sonic shot his arm out to Miles, and began taking away some of the kitsune's Chaos Energy. Also showing he had some kind of ability or telepathic reach for Chaos Energy. The green Chaos Emerald from Shadow also seemed to tilt to Sonic's direction. Miles felt a sudden pull inside of him, forcefully getting pulled into Sonic's direction. Miles tried to stop the flow, and it worked. Sharing, or rather stealing, a bit of Chaos Energy with Miles, Sonic had enough to transcend into another state in which his fur turns yellow and his irises turn red.

Sonic stood there, gathering power, as his fur turned from light indigo to a pale golden tint. His quills stood up, jagging the air. The Chaos Energy he released was far beyond anything since the rising of the Super Hedgehog a _long_ time ago. (Actually, only months.) Chaos Energy isn't fixed in a normal scale. It's in a linear scale, where it goes higher the more Chaos Emeralds you have. Convenient for Sonic to just need Chaos Energy to turn Super, but it won't be as powerful as having 7 Chaos Emeralds.

Sonic's emerald irises turned crimson, and his transformation finished, as his yellow aura flashed in the desert. At this point, people can claim that a sun has risen in the desert, not from outer space. The light died down, and Sonic stood there, ready. Miles didn't seem to be affected much, as he showed no sign of amazement whatsoever, just boredom. The golden hedgehog stood there, befuddled with Miles' yawn.

"**I've seen it before. Have I told you I can see 'Tails'' memories?**" he asked, contemplating at Sonic's facial expression.

Super Sonic felt impatient. This form of his can only last for a few minutes, as compared to his True Super Form, where all the 7 Chaos Emeralds have been gathered instead of absorbing the required energy in order to go Super. He could have regained more control and didn't have to struggle as much as he did right now. But that form did pay a price, the holders of that power, the Chaos Emeralds, would disperse throughout the world.

Miles readied himself and summoned enough Chaos Energy to ascend into a higher level. He went deeper and saw the latent power of the kitsune. Releasing, his aura turned to golden, much like Sonic's, and his fur glowed like the sun. His eyes were just the same. In fact, he didn't transform, it was more like tapping into unused power. Showing it off, he looked the same, but when sensed, it was capable of throwing Sonic's power, as of now, out the window.

"You... You can go Super!" Sonic stuttered, astonished.

"**Yes, I can. And I will finally get around to _destroying_ you.**"

"_Destroying_? Why?" Sonic asked, his ego getting to him. This transformation boggled his mind. "Isn't that a little over the top?"

"**No-**"

"Wait, you don't have those flickies anymore!"

"**_Flickies_? What are those?**"

"What? I thought you had all of Tails' memories! He transformed into that before, and it took major amounts of Chaos Energy to do!" Sonic explained.

Miles stared at the sand for a few seconds, unable to register where Tails had turned Super with 'flickies'. He suddenly snapped his fingers and grinned proudly. "**...oh. A repressed memory. Don't know why.**"

"Uh..." _How am I gonna take 'im down? He's both Tails _and_ Miles Prower..._

"**Anyway, I do not know why Shadow and Knuckles fought me. But, I'll fight you as well.**" Tails charged Sonic, who clashed with him. Suddenly, he remembered of the time he and Tails fought Eggman for the first time. Well, more like encounter...

* * *

><p><span>Flashback...<span>

"Hey, Eggman!" Sonic yelled, getting the man's attention. The blue hedgehog landed on the metal floor, the dock of the huge battleship.

"What do you want, rodent? Can't you see I'm trying to take over the world?" an egg-like scientist asked, putting his arms out.

"More like creating your own 'Eggman Land'!" Sonic jeered, putting air quotes when he said 'Eggman Land'.

"That's... actually a good idea. Better put that in my notes." Robotnik peeked into his notebook, scribbling down the idea. After that, he resumed his duty of trying to take over the world. '_Trying'_. "Now, what do you want?"

"We're going to stop you, and repay the damages you've caused!" Sonic answered, pointing a finger at the red-suited scientist. He was itching to put a foot into the Egg-head's face. The scientist could only scratch his long, orange moustache.

"What damage? I haven't been able to any damage since the time I dug holes in my neighbor's lawns..." Sonic stared at him bewilderedly. "Nevermind. The point is, I haven't done any damage until, well, let's say the future." Robotnik said with glee.

"You haven't done any damage? You tortured a 2-year-old!" Sonic responded. A fox, stumbled beside him. "Miles, is that the guy?" the blue blur asked in a whisper.

"No. I don't know who he is."

"Oh." Sonic replied, placing a hand under his chin. He _so_ wanted to kick Eggman right there.

"What do you mean _I_ tortured a 2-year-old!?" Eggman asked innocently. "Who would do that?!"

"Oh, uh, sorry Ro-butt-nick, wrong guy." Sonic apologized, turning away. His partner, Miles, followed in suit.

"Wait! I'm taking over the world right now!"

"I'll give you a head start!" Sonic replied cockily, stepping down on the ground. Miles jumped over the small gap, since the flying battleship was only starting to fly. _Just give it a few hours and it'll be up a meter. _Sonic thought as he turned to Miles. "Wanna race?"

* * *

><p><span>Present...<span>

The two were in the air, exchanging blows. Thundering booms could be heard from afar, as Sonic and Miles tried to hit each other. They would either dodge or try to counter, but the attack was dodged. Sonic booms kept being created, as the two soared into the sky, trying to get the better of each other. Only Miles was able to fly, Sonic... not so much. He needed Chaos Energy.

"**Don't fool me, you're just holding back.**" Miles denounced, aiming a strike at his chest with his elbow.

"H-How can you tell?" Sonic stuttered, but he didn't know why. He barely dodged that one.

"**From Tails' memories, your moves were always fast and _not_ edgy.**" Miles recounted, "**It's like you're willing to hit, but regretting them at the last second. I also count your moves not as planned as Tails had remembered. Before you made it —dare I say it— impossible to counter. Most of these are just flailing of the arms and legs.**"

"Hmm, catching up?" Sonic asked, making a swift kick at Miles' waist, but it was easily countered because of it's sloppiness. "How 'bout this?" Sonic landed a powerful right blow on Miles' left cheek, and simultaneously kicking the back of Miles' right leg. This move caused Miles to twist in the air, while Sonic had him in the open. The hedgehog curled into a ball and sent a homing attack into Miles. "N-Not so hesitant now, am I?"

"**Still,**" Miles grimaced, recovering just a few seconds afterwards. "**Not enough to take me down.**"

Both flew to the ground and put up their stances, ready for another clash.

"**W****hat's up with you crying?**" Miles asked, unnaturally showing sympathy. _That fox! He's disrupting me!_

"H-Huh?" Sonic sobbed. He couldn't deny that. He was literally crying throughout the whole ordeal. He only noticed it when Miles asked him about it.

"**Heh. I _could_ make a pesky taunt by calling you a baby, but I'm _far_ above that.**" Miles said, his tails swishing at that point. He accidentally made a crack in the ground, but it didn't matter to him, he was focused on beating Sonic. "**Hey, want to talk to Tails?**"

"..." Sonic remained vigilant, preparing to attack at any moment.

Using this as a distraction, Miles immediately fell to the ground, clutching his head. The fox gasped as sweat formed on his head. He was trying to control everything, and at the same time, let Tails out to only speak to him. His eyes turned back to its white color, but the black lines were still around his eyes, in Miles' control. The real Tails struggled to speak. "S... Sonic..."

"T-Tails!" Sonic ran to him, but Miles lifted a hand.

Miles' voice was in control now, with the blackness instantly returning in his eyes. "**Ah-ah-ah...**" He wagged a finger around. "**I'm still in control.**"

Sonic growled. _That bastard! He's... He's playing with my emotions!_

A strangled gasp escaped Tails' lips, and he kept trembling. Tails had returned, with the white eyes. "Sonic! Get out of here... he'll-he'll..." Tails' voice yelled, "He'll get you! He won't stop!"

"NO! I'm not leaving you here!" Sonic protested. Tails clutched his head again, painful grunts coming out of his mouth. Miles had returned, with the black eyes.

"**Aw... that's just cute.**" Miles remarked, launching himself at Sonic. The golden hedgehog felt a shoe deepen into his stomach, and he fell to the ground. Miles towered over him, smirking. "**Too bad it's pitiful.**"

_I'm losing Energy. Fast. _Sonic thought. _I can't keep up with this._

_No..._

_I _have_ to._

The golden hedgehog tried to lift Miles' shoe up, but his strength was diminishing. His golden aura flickered away, and his blue fur had been reverted back. The golden flames that enveloped him, was now gone. _I need more power!_

Miles sniggered. "**Hah! Even with that transformation, you've failed. It just goes to show you: you're not always invincible.**"

The fox aimed the palm of his hand at Sonic's head. The blue blur trembled at the sight. He was going to die, by the hands of his little brother. A faint glow shimmered around Miles' hand, and Chaos Energy had been made into a weapon. A weapon of mass destruction. Destroying Sonic: a _great_ feat.

Miles felt a sharp pang of guilt.

* * *

><p>Miles' mind was a dark place, full of anguish for the real owner of the body. Tails was there, standing limply. The air shimmered, and Miles appeared. Tails contemplated at the figure, gasping for air. Red marks formed around Tails' wrists, the aftermath of struggling out of metal chains. Or, what he calls his own personal torture. Tails' essence influenced Miles, but the latter didn't need any of it. He <em>hated<em> it.

"**You! What do you think you're doing? I'm in control, _not_ you.**" Miles said, swaying his hand at the opposite fox.

Tails stood, a yellow aura formed around him, and light was finally shed into the place. Miles glared at him, and a green aura formed around the darker version of the two. Darkness resurfaced, and Tails tried to keep his ground. "_Control_? I don't think so." Tails grimaced as he tried to overpower the shadows. "I won't go down without a fight!" _I'll try my best Sonic! If I don't make it... I'm... sorry..._

"**A feisty one! I've got to admit, you have been acting up lately. More on your physical limits than your smarts!**" Miles commented. "**But that won't help you, I'm not even u-**"

"-using full-power. I get it, and what can I say..." Tails tried harder, and the light was steadily growing. "Neither... have... _I_!"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Sonic struggled to keep Miles' foot off him, and even resorted to calling Shadow or Knuckles for help. The two didn't do a thing, because Knuckles was still down and Shadow was laughing inwardly at his rival's plea. Miles wasn't in control of his physical body, and was just staring off into the sky. It seemed humiliating that the fox looked like he didn't even try.<p>

"Never thought Faker would lose _this_ bad." Shadow remarked, laying low in order to stay from Sonic's view.

"AAGGHHH- Help me, _please_!" Sonic pleaded. His tears weren't there anymore, because all he's focused on is getting Miles' shoe off of him. "_Help_!"

_'Kick him in the tails.'_

_Huh? _Sonic thought, stopping his cries. _What was that? _He waited for a few seconds, wanting to hear it again. _Probably hearing things..._

_'I said: kick him in the tails.'_

_Gah! Telepathic communication!_ Sonic shouted in his mind. _Why should I-_

_'Because that's your only chance. Either listen to me, or get killed.'_

Sonic obliged hesitantly, kicking Miles' twin tails. The latter seemed to get irritated and stepped away from Sonic, dazed for some reason. Sonic got into his stance, waiting for Miles' attack. But the fox didn't respond to him and continued staring off into the sky.

'_Use this distraction to get a hold of him.'_

_Wha...?_ Sonic asked, although not verbally.

_'Hold him down.'_

_Okay then! _Sonic thought, tackling Miles and pinning him to the ground. _What now?_

_'I didn't think you would be able to do that... Just, wait for my instructions. Gotta go check something.'_

_Oh, for the love of-nevermind._ Sonic stopped his thoughts. "Why aren't you attacking?" he asked Miles, who was still in a deep thought.

"Because he's currently fighting Tails in his mind. And it seems he can't multitask." Shadow informed, his arms crossed. He stood up like he wasn't even hurt.

"How'd you know... you've been up this _whole_ time and never helped me?" Sonic asked, his eyelids drooping. The Ultimate Life Form ignored his recent question and decided to answer the first one.

"It's easy to tell. After all, he's in a dazed state, and you've been trying to pry into his mind and bring Tails back. Also, Miles made a risk getting Tails to talk to you. Tails must've gained back control after that. Miles noticed and is fighting off Tails as we speak." Shadow explained, glancing back at Miles and Sonic. "_So_... how did you go Super without seven Chaos Emeralds?"

"I was able to, ever since I got a hold of one. I only needed six to turn Super, but there are seven Chaos Emeralds. The six Chaos Emeralds transformation wasn't as powerful as seven, but it's the reason I found out it only needed Chaos Energy to transform. I've been trying to use as small of an amount of Chaos Emeralds to transform, but... it also doesn't last long. And it's recharge is..." Sonic trailed away, realizing that he's been subconsciously explaining it to Shadow. "Why should I tell _you_? Faker."

"I already got my answer." Shadow retorted. He looked over at Miles, who was twitching a bit. "Watch out."

"Huh-" The blue hedgehog was interrupted by a punch, courtesy of the two-tailed fox.

"**Miss me?**" Miles asked, getting up. "**Were you trying to hold me down? 'Cause that seemed weak.**"

"Eh..." Sonic replied. _What am I gonna do now? Mystery guy? Hello?_

"**I'm sorry it took me so long to get bring myself back. I was just... discarding something that has been in my head for awhile.**" Miles explained. "**Where was I?**" He peered over to Shadow. "**You're next.**"

_Di-Discarding...? _Sonic thought, cringing inwardly. _You-You mean... BASTARD!_

"Don't care. You're going down before you get even a foot in proximity with me." Shadow replied, crossing his arms.

_Woah, Shadow's put a lot of trust in me. Either that or he's gonna beat Miles around with some magical power _or_ he'll get beaten to death by Miles. _Sonic thought.

"**Then it's settled.**" Miles set his shoe on Sonic, literally pushing him back to square 1. "**I kill you first, and then I kill the black one.**"

"That's racist." Shadow interjected.

"Did I hear kill?" Sonic gulped, trying to joke around. But his mind has been full of fear. Will Tails ever get back?

"**Now,**" Miles neared Sonic, his right hand shining with light. "**Die.**"

_'Revive your power!'_

Sonic felt his body burning, and his eyes lighting up. Green eyes facing blue ones, and a golden flame ignited around his body. The blue blur shot his hand off into Miles' neck*****, turning the tables, and pushing him into the sand. "Sorry." Sonic's eyes hardened. Fire sprouted from his irises. "But I'm not dying today."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ...**

*** - Do they have necks? I'm sure they don't. Bah, I need it in the story anyways.**


	5. Early Demise

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Didn't know what to title this, so I was like 'meh, anything's fine.'**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

**_Early Demise_**

"**You've finally cracked.**"

"You... You killed him!"

"**I _am_ him!**"

Sonic's hand held Miles on the ground, burning with the touch. The blue blur could feel his own body burn, and his skin was steaming! Beads of sweat formed on the fox's head, but only fire came from Sonic. Parts of his body exploded inside of him, but he tried his best to ignore it. This amount of power didn't come from Chaos, it came from him. It was _all_ natural.

He struck him in the face, burning pain shooting through his cheek. "**You're more stronger. Was this what you were holding back? I'm betting there's _more_*...**" Miles remarked. Sonic was in his thoughts, subconsciously ramming his fist into Miles' face. It didn't do much, considering the calmness coming from the fox.

_This power's incredible! Where'd it come from?_

_'Your atoms; they're vibrating, to the point they're giving off heat and not letting you 'phase' through things.'_

_Woah, that's why it hurts. Who are you, though?_

_'My name is Helios.'_

* * *

><p>"This power..." Shadow muttered to himself. "It's not Chaos Energy." He checked again, trying to get a sense for Sonic's power. "It's... something else. I can't sense anything from him but heat!" <em>Where is he getting all that power?<em>

Miles felt his skin burn. It stung a lot and he tried to pry his arm off. Bad move, considering that his arms were made of lava too. Miles pushed both his sneakers into Sonic's stomach, readying himself, and kicked him upright, sending him a few feet away.

The burning hedgehog skidded, the sand he touched turning to glass. _Better to stay in one place... ranged attacks are my best hope. _He rubbed his hands together, creating a fireball. _Sweet! _He hurled it at Miles' direction, and it was immediately extinguished from the wind of Miles' jump. _Dang it!_

"Uh... **Burning Blitz!**" Sonic shouted lamely, firing off fire from his hands. Little pellets of flame were shot at Miles' direction, but he dodged and spun his tails, extinguishing some. Sonic was steaming even more, and he began feeling the heat. His... well, everything turned red, and the golden flame that surrounded him swirled away, and his body returned back to it's usual blue color. _Uh... what happened?_

_'Idiot! You were overheating!'_

_That happens? With a body fueled with energy?_ Sonic asked inwardly, preparing himself for Miles' attack. He wasn't ready enough, he could be easily beaten because he was preoccupied with his thoughts. And even if he _wasn't_ preoccupied with his thoughts, his energy had been depleted.

_Is this all I've got?_

_'Well, you still have that power_*****_...'_

_No. I locked that away. I swore to Tails that I'll never use it. Ever._

_'Okay... I can get an atom in your body explode-'_

_Isn't that dangerous? I mean physics and chemistry and all that stuff..._

_'Yes. It will severely injure you, and Miles as well.'_

_Well, danger's my middle name!_

_'Isn't it 'the'?' _Helios joked.

_Shut up... _Sonic retorted, and sped at Miles, arching back his right fist. _I'll hit him with my right, got that? So, do whatever you do and help me win this._

"**You've been considerably quiet. I wonder what goes on in that brain of yours... thinking of new power-ups, ones that I don't recall you ever using...**" Miles grinned afterwards. "**Was it something I said?**" He used his tails to flip himself away from Sonic, barely dodging that punch. "**Hm? Discarding Tails? Was it a nice thought?**"

"Damn, asshole..." Sonic seethed, staring at his right hand. "I'm not holding back anymore!" _Why didn't it explode?_

_'You need a direct hit!'_

_I'll give him a direct hit! _He sped over to Miles again, who made a swift backhand at him. Sonic ducked under it and readied his right hand, positioning himself to further cause more damage than a regular punch. "THIS IS FOR TAILS!" He shot his arm up, making a brutal uppercut, straight into Miles' jaw. A golden glow erupted from his hand, and a white light engulfed the two. The heat of a searing hot sun exploded into the both of them, injuring both Sonic and Miles. A few seconds passed, and the explosion was imploding on itself, and then exploded again.

A shockwave detonated, and the two were sent flying back into the dirt. Sonic felt a burning sensation in his right arm, and he scraped it with the sand, damaging him even more. Miles flew back in the opposite direction, and his injuries were far more fatal. Superficial burn marks were implanted on his skin, smoke emitted from his body and a devastating wound was made on Miles' chin.

Sonic sat up, investigating the damage. A huge crater in the epicenter, Miles lay on the other side, twitching, and Shadow was just standing in the sidelines, unimpressed. He looked over to his body, and saw his right arm being severely injured, with blood marks sprayed all over it and continuing to bleed, and his glove on that arm was ripped apart, due to the explosion of an atom.

_Why am I not... feeling anything?_

_'Either it feels numb or you've lost a lot of blood and you're delusional.'_

Sonic reverted to his senses, and got back tremendous feedback. His ears were ringing, his nose could only sense heat, his body was numb, his arm was scorching, his eyesight was getting blurry, but his throat felt fine. _Why the heck is my voice the only thing fine?!_

_'You could just be making it up or ignoring reality. Maybe both.'_

"S-AAA-do!" Sonic cried. _Well, crap._

Said hedgehog didn't do a thing. He just stood there with his arms crossed. Suddenly, his ear twitched and he peered over to the wrecked hedgehog. "_What_?" he asked, almost as if complaining. "I can't heal you. What do you expect me to do?"

There wasn't a thing Sonic could hear in response. Just constant ringing. Neither can he see clearly, because all he saw were flashy lights, so he kept moaning. "Heeeelll... puh." _I can't hear him... _Sonic realized. _The ringing in my ears... Hey! Can you fix me? Helios?_

_'No.'_

_Really? No atom-healing function?_

_'No.'_

_This is it then. Miles and I are going down at the same rate... Tails is... gone. He's... dead. _Sonic sniffed. Helios was just hanging around, listening to Sonic's 'last words'. _Well, I'm gonna see him-_

_'I can revert Miles and Tails back. It seems like Tails is still within his mind, _and_ that Miles still has the power to heal himself.'_

_What?! He's not..._

_'He's only in bad shape. He could get back with those 'Chaos Emeralds'. But you... You can't do crap.'_

_Well, what can I do?_

_'It's not what __you__ do. It's what you decide. Will you take your life for Tails? You know... go away and Tails will come back. It's a sacrifice you'll have to make.'_

_This seems easy... and cliché..._

_'You're lucky I'm here to screw you over with the details. Hm, where to start...'_

* * *

><p>Shadow could see Sonic hallucinate, mumbling things. The fox still got up, after that weird explosion Sonic created. He tensed up, vigilant. He backed away from Miles and gripped the green Chaos Emerald in his hand. <em>Whatever he's gonna do. He can't absorb Chaos Energy to heal himself. I have this... wait. What is tha- No... Impossible! Unless Sonic was stupid enough to bring one here!<em>

Miles crawled with his arms, ignoring the pain that seared through his body. Everything that stung, forget it, he'll go for a Chaos Emerald. He can't die anyway. The light-blue one was closer to him than Shadow's Chaos Emerald. And Knuckles' yellow Chaos Emerald was too far away. He kept crawling, nearing the light-blue Chaos Emerald.

"**Chaos Spear!**"

Miles' senses skyrocketed, and he spun his tails, lifting himself off the ground. Arrows of energy exploded on the sand he was just on. He headed over to the light-blue Chaos Emerald with whatever energy reserves he had. His tails stopped spinning, to his dismay. _What? That can't be! Unless..._

Miles' thoughts were interrupted when he landed face first into the sand. "**'Ultimate Life Form'! Why don't you... just... DIE!**" he screamed, before stumbling up. He stood, blood leaking from his gashes. "**I won't lie on the ground and suffer. YOU WILL!**" Summoning up whatever power he had, he felt his legs give out. Falling miserably, he fell to the ground, spluttering red liquid. He pushed himself up with his arms, mustering up all his power. "**Damn...**"

He could see red everywhere. A shimmer of light obstructed his view. A red jewel.

"**There it is..**" he grinned, pushing his arm out for it. He tapped it with his fingers, feeling the soothing power of the Chaos Emeralds. "**Little Chaos Emerald,**" he chanted, "**Why do you always run out of power? Isn't your power... endless, limitless, infinite?**" He grasped it, his injuries healing. He started to cackle, startling the jet-black hedgehog.

"No..." Shadow whispered, his eyes darting off to the sides. "He's got it. Why was I just standing in the sidelines?"

Miles stood up, fully charged and healed. No burns, or any cuts could be seen on him. Just the damages gloves and sneakers. The fox leapt at him, arching back a fist, aiming for the head.

Shadow shut his eyes and waited for the attack, already knowing he couldn't win.

It didn't come.

He snapped one of his eyes open, peeking if his assumptions were right. If there was no Chaos Signal in front of him, then he wasn't there. ...Yep, he wasn't. It seemed like the end of a nightmare that never ends. It was finally gone.

Miles had _vanished_.

He got off from the ground, looking around for any sign of him. This wasn't possible. Tails', or _Miles_', Chaos Signal was gone. It disappeared off the face of the planet. Then, he _also_ found something. Sonic was missing! He couldn't have gone out from his sights, the hedgehog was injured. Severely injured. _So much_ he couldn't run away. _Where the hell _is_ he? I need answers! Like how'd he create that much heat from his body and how'd he make that explosion with that much fatigue?_

He must've gained a _lot_ of damage. Brain damage. But, he was the Ultimate Life Form, no one could give him a concussion... Okay, there was that _one_ time, but it didn't count. Faker had set up a trap to make him play Sonic '06, and he punched himself in the face with enough force to knock him out... Okay, he _must_ have gotten a lot of brain damage.

_What the _hell_ is Sonic '06!?_ Shadow thought.

"Uh... I told you, you'll never get within a _foot_ near me." Shadow said as he kicked the sand.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Huh? What?<strong>"

Everything was white. Miles had been transported to somewhere in the middle of nowhere. And it was _very_ cold, much to his dismay. He didn't wear any clothes to keep himself warm, so he had to wrap himself in his tails, like 'before'.

He shuddered watching that memory in seconds. It took actual years if you just want to watch it on TV, but seconds in Miles' mind. Which he was very grateful for, and it contained only the important parts. He winced as he remembered the hits he's taken. He shook the memory away, unaware that it wasn't he who commanded to.

"**Jeez, how long could you endure?**" he thought out loud, thinking life had been harsh for the young fox. _But it could be harsher... _He thought.

After looking around, he found out he was on a mountain. Snowing. His choices were to either slide down and freeze to death, and get hypothermia halfway. Or, he could just go to that warm-looking house just right ahead.

His senses told him to go up.

He trudged through the snow, determined to get answers after this. Where was he and how did he get here? His eyes flashed, using Chaos Energy to create heat. But he felt a pang of fatigue. His muscles burnt and his eyes drooped. When did using Chaos Energy feel like he was using his own energy?

He climbed the mountain, and reached the top. He neared the house, but had no energy to continue.

* * *

><p>A lone hedgehog, light blue in color, descended in front of the house. He looked like he was expecting something to come, as he trudged along the snowy place. He walked around, and he found it. Also, accidentally stepping on it, which caused a loud outburst.<p>

"**_DAMN YOU!_**" Miles screamed, jumping out of the snow and charging energy into his fingertips, immediately rushing at his prey. The purple energy lit a trail behind it, sharp and deadly. He clawed at the hedgehog, who simply turned his body 90° to the right, dodging completely.

As Miles saw him, he saw what clothes it was wearing. Some weird martial arts fighting clothes, or simply known as a 'gi'. He wore a silver gi, and a black belt the size of a champion's. He had blue boots, with red streaks imprinted on it. His gloves seem to have the same design. He also wore a light blue T-shirt under the gi.

"Can I help you?" he mocked, staring at him with his green eyes. _He __is__ the one I'm looking for._

"**You can just _GO AWAY!_**" Miles roared, and proceeded to attack again. He _cannot_ be defeated, simply because he had no energy! He is Miles Prower, destined for greatness! The nameless hedgehog easily moved away from fox, and it infuriated him. "**How _the_-**"

Miles' eyes rolled back his head. His eyes were complete blackness. He could've just fallen into the snow, if it wasn't for the hedgehog keeping him up with just his two fingers. His index finger and middle finger. He struck a pressure point and kept him unconscious, also searching through his memories.

"Yes. This is the one." he nodded.

One memory captured his sight, and it was when he and Sonic celebrated his birthday for the first time. He couldn't help but smile.

But it turned into a frown afterwards.

"Miles 'Tails' Prower. Age 8. Has Chaos Energy as his new energy source from overloading himself. Yep, this _is_ the one." he concluded, letting the fox fall on him. The kitsune's head landed limply on his left shoulder, and his whole body fell into his arms. "Better bring you back to your _normal_ self."

A green aura formed around Tails and dissipated into the air. His eyes turned to complete white, and the hedgehog closed them, making him look like he's sleeping.

But he stirred even faster than he realized.

"H-Huh? Wh-What?" Tails stammered, backing away from the hedgehog. Tears instantly fled through his eyes as he remembered what he did. He turned to him, and sniffed constantly from the cold. "Who... Who are you?"

The light-blue hedgehog gave a reply, but one he didn't expect.

"My name... is Nazo."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I ****thought the 'atom-exploding-thing' should've put Sonic attacking Miles with a homing attack. But when I wrote 'I'll hit him with my right fist, blah blah blah.' I kinda went with it and here we are. Also, since sound is caused by vibrations and Sonic's atoms are vibrating, it was to the point of heating up (I went with physics...) and not at the point he'll phase through stuff (Did _not_ go with physics there...), but the sound was never thought up. (So, I guess I'm with physics 1/3 the time...)**

*** - The powers Helios and Miles mentioned are things Sonic never wants. He knows this, and Tails knows this. But, he kept a promise to Tails, that he'll never turn into that 'monster' again. The Form that has been known to almost every Sonic fan: Dark Super Sonic (Really? Dark Super Sonic? Isn't it Dark Sonic? Okay, nevermind, it sounds ridiculous. Dark Super Sonic is good.) (Oh, and Sonic-X isn't a part of the story. Sorry.)**


	6. What to Believe

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hm... Which one? Original then altered? Or altered, then original and then altered? Hm... This is pretty interesting... Oh, um, yeah, you were expecting it to become weirder? Well, not _exactly_...**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

**_What to Believe_**

It's been a total wreck for the group to clean up. When Shadow told them what happened, even surprising Knuckles, Amy bawled her eyes out while Rouge thought they had gone somewhere. They knew if they were going to find out what happened, it would be the death of them. Sheer curiosity got the better of the group and they started working. This wasn't one of Sonic's long runs, or Tails spending weeks inventing a machine, they disappeared in the midst of a battle. With Sonic and Tails gone, they were on a depressing trip to reality.

For two months.

Two months and they haven't found a strand of evidence that Sonic and Tails were alive. _Nor_ did they have any evidence that they were dead.

Each second that had passed, caused them to think the chance of getting to see them again, diminished. It was crushed under the heaping work of stress they did with their search for the two. The more they think about it, the less likely they were going to talk to each other again.

Shadow, Knuckles, Amy and Rouge have continued their search in despair. Shadow stopped searching during half the part, because why did he care? All he wanted was to know Sonic's secret powers. Rouge started to act 'unprofessional' and went back to reporting to GUN. Knuckles and Amy were left _really_ searching for Sonic and Tails. Cream had been of no help this time, except for accidentally finding 2 Chaos Emeralds. The blue and the red.

And then the biggest lie in their lives was announced...

* * *

><p>"Tails!?"<p>

"Well, I guess, happy 9th birthday to me?" the kitsune shrugged, getting hugged by everyone simultaneously. Except for Shadow. That hedgehog stood by the doorframe, suspicious. The kit was wearing some weird clothing. A white gi, vest underneath the gi and a huge black belt. The black belt was like a champion's belt, but completely black. Tails' gloves and boots seemed, customized. They were the same, yes, but there were black robotic parts hugging his wrists and heels.

_Some kind of upgrade? _The ebony hedgehog thought. "You're not Miles in disguise, are you?" he joked, noting the black eyes are gone.

"Of course not." Tails replied, "If I was still that thing, I would've... you know, destroyed you back then. I was gone for two months, and I came back, some questions would _have_ to be asked. I wouldn't want to come back without making sure it was completely gone." Tails walked into his house, seeing it as a mess. "Uh, guys, what... happened here?"

"You tell us, it was like this when we got here." Knuckles replied. The calmness in his voice is what frustrated Tails.

"Approximately two months and you didn't think of cleaning it up for me?" Tails asked, rasing an eyebrow. The apparent nonchalant-ness that came out of Tails' voice was also frustrating them.

"We ask questions first, okay?" Amy inquired, "Where is Sonic? Do you _know_ where Sonic is? Is he okay? Did you make it here yourself?" Everyone listened intently for the fox's answer.

Tails' smile had faded into a frown. He mumbled something that was heard by all five of them.

"Sonic's... dead..."

Shadow's eyes widened a bit from the info, Knuckles and Rouge gasped at him, Cream was petrified, while Amy's face fell.

The pink hedgehog threw a hissy fit and swung her hammer at Tails, tears in her eyes. "WHAT?!"

Tails had been flung out of the house, and landed on the ground with a thud. He sat back up, rubbing his cheek, a single tear leaking from his eye. Amy was about to come at him, until Knuckles and Rouge held her down. Cream tried to calm her down, but to no use. Shadow watched the scene play out, arms crossed. Amy calmed down a bit, glaring at the fox. "How'd you know?"

"He..." Tails stood back up, somehow undamaged from the blow. "..." His eyes darted off to the side, remaining speechless while the others waited for him. "...made a sacrifice."

"For what?" Knuckles asked, stepping in front of Amy.

Tails felt ashamed. The memories of them facing off against him were played in a microsecond in his brain. He knew what happened, why it happened, and he got rid of it. "Miles Prower."

"The douche who took control of you?" Rouge asked, shoulder-charging Knuckles away so she could face Tails.

"Yes. Seems that I really _am_ him." Tails informed. "But he's gone..." he softly added, careful not to let anyone hear. _...for now..._

Shadow and Rouge noticed the trail in his voice, and the red-striped hedgehog replied first. "If that's so, we'll have to make sure you don't come in contact with any Chaos Emerald." He hid his green Chaos Emerald from him, aware of his power.

* * *

><p>The day had gone by silently...<p>

...well...

Too silent.

They all left the place after giving Tails a happy birthday, and the kit was alone again. Shadow had gone running away, trying to find out what had happened with Tails and Sonic. The blundering hedgehog couldn't have died. Something in his stomach rolled as he skated, feeling ominous.

He stopped, looking around.

"What the hell..."

The trees have been burnt and a shallow, wide hole, resembling a crater, lay a few feet from Shadow. In the epicenter, stood a dark hedgehog, with pure white yes, trailing in the air. It looked like white fire, but it was cold. It was glaring at him. It smirked, lowering its stance. This hedgehog looked surprisingly like Sonic, but with black fur and white eyes. Sinister. "**Hello... I'm looking for 'Tails'. Have you seen him?**"

Shadow grit his teeth, a small bead of sweat forming in his head. _Faker...?_

* * *

><p>"Why was Shadow able go out alone?" Knuckles whined. "Why do I have to follow you?"<p>

"Because. Now lead us back to the station." Rouge replied, shoving him in front.

"Why do I have to be in front? You know the place more than me." Knuckles responded, glaring at her while walking.

"Because we're going to test you. How did you get here anyway if you don't know what's around the place?" Rouge asked, glaring back. Amy and Cream were at the back, walking solemnly.

"Well... it's a secret." Knuckles crossed his arms, and continued walking.

"**CHAOS SPEAR!**"

The four turned to the noise. And sure enough, there were explosions...

Knuckles rewinded the phrase. "That sounded like-"

"Shadow!" Rouge gasped. She turned and ran after it. "Quickly!"

"He better have a reason to do that..." Knuckles mumbled, running faster than Rouge.

* * *

><p>Shadow huffed, his body wavering. The dark hedgehog continued to walk, grinning madly as he did. He snapped his fingers while they were at his sides, and the white, purple, cyan Chaos Emeralds appeared out of nowhere, twirling around the hedgehog. Shadow pulled out his green Chaos Emerald, grasping it's power. He calmed down, stopping his tensed actions and stood rigidly. "Who are you?" he asked, intimidatingly.<p>

The hedgehog kept walking.

"Who _are_ you?!" Shadow asked, fear sinking in as a snap erupted from his thoughts. He knew _exactly_ who he is.

"**Is that fear? Feh, looks like you've figured it out.**" the hedgehog spread his arms out, inhaling power from the Chaos Emeralds that surrounded him. It began to darken, as he siphoned energy from it. "**I am Sonic the Deity.**"

"_Deity_?" Shadow searched the word through his mind, eyes widening as he found it. "...a _god_?"

"**I wasn't proud of Sonic the Hedgehog. Thought I might step it up a bit.**" 'Sonic' charged at Shadow with astounding speed, accelerating from zero to the speed of sound in that second. He struck Shadow head-on, zipping past him by three blocks.

Shadow turned around, gritting his teeth. "What gave you the name 'Sonic the '_Deity_'', faker?"

Sonic materialized in front of him. And it was either by his speed or teleportation. "**I was planning for ****God, but it sounded too... mainstream.**"

* * *

><p>Not far away, a certain two-tailed fox was watching intently. His eyes watered as he found his brother, with murderous intents. What did he want with him? He didn't change his clothes, but he was planning too. He didn't get any time, when he sensed something bad was gonna happen. He was still in Nazo's bright gi, with all the same things as before. "Should I intervene?" <em>Yes, you should! You want to find out what happened! <em>"Okay..."

He stood back up, after crouching to hide himself. Taking a step forward, he could feel it lurking inside him, and he immediately stepped back, and the feeling subsided. "Chaos Energy... why didn't I think?"

* * *

><p>"<strong>Where's Tails? I just wanted to give him a happy birthday.<strong>" Sonic sneered. Shadow took a step back, feeling darkness and chaos in his aura. The amount of anger expressed was minimal, but his presence was fuming with it. "**I'm going to break you.**" he sneered, taking hold of Shadow's neck. "**I'm going to break you _and_ your immotality.**"

"Im-Immortality?" Shadow choked, gasping for air. A faint blue glow surrounded Shadow, before disappearing into the air. He clawed at his arms in vain, reluctant to die like this.

"**Yes, you and Tails are the ones that have immortality. Now, let me ask you once.**" He applied more pressure into his grasp, before throwing him away. "**Where. Is. Tails?**"

Shadow stumbled back up, rubbing his throat. "_You_ seem to have an obsession."

His reply was a kick to the head, snapping his neck. Tails gasped at the brutality, shaking with fear and anger. Sonic pulled him up again, smirking at his durability. _He can't be dead, yet... I'm only starting..._ "**You have a strange resilience. Good. Now where is Tails?**" Shadow couldn't reply with a broken neck, but he felt the pain spike again as it snapped into place. Somehow. "**There. That should fix it.**"

Still no response. But he knew.

Blood gurgled out of Shadow's mouth, as he twitched. His eyes were pupil-less, feeling agony in his stomach. Sweat drenched his face, as he looked down to see his fist firmly planted into his gut. He recieved another blow to the face, courtesy of Sonic's leg. The ebony hedgehog landed scrappily as he held his stomach. Shadow could feel liquid pouring out of it, and wet squishy substance. _Did he just jab through my skin?_

"**I'm getting impatient, Shadow. Where is he?**" Sonic demanded, walking slowly for him.

"Wha... do you want from him?" he gasped, trying to pull himself together.

"**I told you. I just wanted to greet him a happy birthday. That's all.**" the dark hedgehog replied, crouching beside him. "**Now, kindly tell me his location, so I can celebrate his 9th birthday.**"

"If you were faker... you would've already known where he is." Shadow shot back, heaving himself up. The dark hedgehog slapped him in the face, letting him fall back to the ground. Shadow pulled himself up again, waiting for another attack.

"HYAAAAH!"

Sonic was sent flying in the air. He stopped himelf from going any further and rubbed his face. He peered over to his attacker, grinning as he saw the yellow fox. Tails had his leg outstretched, shocking Shadow with his tremendous speed. _He wasn't here a second ago! How'd he get here so fast? _He vomited blood, his body giving a late response from Sonic's attack.

Tails crouched over to him, ripping the top part of his gi and wrapping it around Shadow's torso to prevent more blood from leaking. He was working like he'd done this before, which surprised Shadow. When did he become a fighting master _and_ a medic? Tails looked over to Sonic, sweat forming on his face. He let Shadow sit up, and tried to get him to stand. The Ultimate Life Form leaned over to him for support, while Tails had to focus more on the dark hedgehog.

"Shadow, could you walk?" the fox asked, glancing at the ebony hedgehog. Shadow could only black out, and Tails was left to help him. It wasn't long till the cavalry arrived.

"Tails! How'd you get here so fast? Augh, quick! Help Shadow! Wait a... is that Sonic?"

The voice belonged to Knuckles, and boy was Tails glad to hear him. Rouge ran over to Shadow, and Tails gave him to her. "Hey, knucklehead! Give me a hand will ya!" Rouge yelled, gaining Knuckles' attention.

"Okay, fine!" Knuckles responded, lifting Shadow by his side. Knuckles was on Shadow's left, and Rouge was on Shadow's right. Both had his arms around their neck and their arms were on his back. Rouge hoped the garment around his body would stop his bleeding, as shown on the redness of the blue clothing. Knuckles hurried themselves away, leading to Tails' house.

"Sonic...?" Amy trailed, staring at the dark hedgehog. He had no pupils, and was deemed pupil-less. He zoomed over to the three: Tails, Amy and Cream. Startling Amy and Cream, the pink hedgehog shooed the rabbit. "Cream," she whispered, "Get out of here, now. And help Rouge!"

"Okay." the rabbit meeped, awestruck by Sonic's speed. She ran off into the forest, swiftly finding Tails' house.**  
><strong>

"**Hmph,**" Sonic snorted, his voice scaring Amy. "**_Happy birthday_, Tails. There. Now, that wasn't hard, was it?**" he spat, saying 'happy birthday' with sarcasm and disgust. Tails narrowed his eyes as Sonic moved closer, their faces only inches apart. The two were trying to intimidate each other, but the fox lost. It was like an ant fighting a dinosaur. Tails was too young to be frightening to Sonic and Sonic was too darkish for Tails.

"That's not _all_ you wanted to do, was it?" Tails retorted, standing his ground. Amy had her piko piko hammer at her side, just in case. Sonic vanished from their sights, while Tails put on a stance, ready for his attack. He ducked, sensing an approach. He barely missed a kick from the back of his head. The leg was slowing and he took his advantage. The fox grabbed the hedgehog's decelerating leg and swiftly threw him into the ground, creating a crack on the ground. "Amy!"

With that, she swung her hammer at him, but stopped inches away from her enemy.

"**Oh, you wouldn't do that, Ames.**"

He grinned, his emerald eyes faintly showing. Tails cursed under his breath and stomped on the hedgehog's chest, gaining a cackle from him. Amy dropped her hammer to the ground, staring at the hedgehog in shock. He looked so much like Sonic, and she knew it was him, judging from the nickname. _Did... Sonic just take advantage over me? _She peered over to Tails, who was gritting his teeth. Anger was shown on his face, for some reason. _Why is he acting so aggressive?_

Tails applied more pressure to his foot, hearing something break, which was the ground. Spiderweb cracks surrounded Sonic, who was glaring daggers at the kit. "Why?" Tails mumbled, unheard by the two. He pressed something on his wrist, and some blue light surfaced on the black things on his gloves. Electricitly crackled around them, but Tails was unfazed. He struck the hedgehog in the face, shocking him with his electrical gloves. "Why?" he asked, barely audible.

He kept striking Sonic's face, until a scratch finally appeared on it. His attacks did no damage. He knew that, but he kept punching. He was holding back. He didn't want to really hurt him, but he wanted to hit him as hard as he can. And when he did, Sonic's head twisted in the direction and spat blood. Tails had slipped there, his fist unknowingly didn't hold back, and the kit's eyes widened. He paused, watching as Sonic's face moved back, blood dripping from his muzzle.

"**That was a _good_ one! Come on! Hit me some more!**"

The electric shock gave Sonic a refreshing feel. Pain mixed with the numbing tingles. Tails lowered his fists, and looked at his surroundings. He noticed then that he was sitting on top of his stomach, free to punch him anytime. Amy was gone, left to Tails' house. She couldn't stay any longer, or she might as well watch as horror movie with Sonic getting tortured. There was no difference. Tails stumbled as he stood up, backing away from him.

"Why?"

"**Because pain is natural in life.**" Sonic replied, smiling as he rubbed the blood from his mouth. He stared at the red stain on his gloves, clenching his fist in anger.

"That's not what I meant." Tails growled.

Sonic knew what he was talking about. He didn't speak until a minute had passed.

* * *

><p><span>Flashback...<span>

_"Promise not to do that?" Tails asked as he held out a pinky, clutching a pillow in one hand. Sonic stared at it for a moment, before putting his pinky around it._

_"Promise."_

* * *

><p>"<strong>Promises are meant to broken.<strong>"

"You lying bastard!" Tails screamed, the voltage of his shock gloves going up. Normally, he wouldn't use such profound words, but he had reached his limit. He's heard lots of 'em, and he wasn't afraid of using them in moments like this.

Sonic flinched at that. Never had he ever heard his brother curse at him before. The electricity enlarged, sparking around his fists. Sonic sat up, unblinking. His mouth had turned into a frown. A small one. Tails' face read anger, disappointment and stress. He could understand all of them. Almost flickering back in his mind. But his dark side took over, scowling. The only thing that was heard between them was the hiss of the electricity sparking around Tails' fists.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Remember this chapter, because something _will_ happen...**

****If you think Sonic won't play a part in this story anymore because he sacrificed himself. Oh, boy.****

****Well, this has been cheesy. #hipstersonic****

****And... it doesn't go with the summary anymore. _Fudge cakes_...****


	7. Reconciliation

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I just noticed... that the Chaos Emeralds from Shadow and Sonic just disappeared from the writing. (Shuffles) Better ignore that.**

**Also! New Cover Image! Brought to you by yours truly. (Yeah, I was kinda bored.)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

**_Reconciliation_**

Tails shot his fist at Sonic's face, shocking him with his electrical gloves simultaneously. Sonic hung his head back, feeling dazed from that one. The fox continued striking his chin with his elbow, knocking him away. The hedgehog stood back up, waiting for more. But Tails stopped, glaring at him. Sonic felt blood drizzle on his muzzle, and he glared back. Something restrained him, and he couldn't attack Tails anymore.

"What are you waiting for?" he spat, walking over to him. "Come on! I wanna know if you're going hurt me some more!"

Sonic lifted himself up, rubbing his chin. "**Hurt you? I've already caused much pain.**" He readied himself to launch right at him. "**But if you insist.**"

Sonic flew straight into Tails, head-butting him. The force of the impact had whiplashed Tails' head, forcing him to spin his body to the point that his head was on the ground and his legs were in the air. Sonic arched a leg back, before slamming it into Tails' back, gaining a yelp from Tails. The fox clutched his back in pain, before twirling his tails like a tornado. The kit flew to the air, while Sonic followed. Tails stopped twirling his tails and headed straight back at Sonic, putting two fists in front. Sonic stopped his flight as well, but he was struck head-on by Tails' attack.

The force turned Sonic's body went limp and he crashed into the ground. Tails spun his namesakes again, floating gently to the ground. The dark hedgehog got back up on his feet, zooming straight into Tails with a spin dash attack. Tails dodged at the last second, and kicked the ball with accurate timing, sending it into the air. Sonic uncurled, twisting his body to face Tails in the air. The fox stood on the ground and glared back at the hedgehog, summoning electricity again by his wrists. Sonic smirked and fell to the ground, with both feet pointing at Tails.

The fox did a backwards somersault, missing the attack Sonic made. The hedgehog landed in the ground, shattering it in the impact. Tails put on a stance, while Sonic hurriedly got out of the earth, shrugging dirt off simultaneously. Tails charged at Sonic, landing two punches on the hedgehog's body, sending a firecracker of an explosion into Sonic's guts. The hedgehog retaliated, but Tails blocked it with his forearms, also sending a charge through Sonic's limbs. The fox sent a kick into the hedgehog's stomach, sending him a few feet backwards. Sonic the 'Deity' gritted his teeth, preparing another attack.

Something struck Tails, and Sonic was gone. The fox commanded his twin tails to spin, but Sonic got him in a full-nelson. He could feel the pressure applied on his head, and his shoulders were reluctantly forced up. If anything, his shoulder blades are gonna collide with his backbone and a painful snap will be heard. He mustered up all his strength, bringing his arms back and head-butting him with the back of his head. Using this as a distraction, Tails slipped out of Sonic's hold and made an inverted roundhouse kick, slamming his heel into his face.

"Holding me in place with that move won't work." Tails remarked, watching as Sonic recivered from the fatal blow. "If you think you could end me with such an attack, you're pathetic."

"**I was just measuring your strength, and it's quite at my level.**" he lied, knowing Tails had far surpassed him. The full-nelson should've broken both arms at once if he wasn't at his strength, and he even managed to slip out of it and counter him. "**Impressive. **Didn't think you'd come this far, lil' bro."

Sonic's voice played over, and he smacked himself in the head. He was losing control? No! He wouldn't. Tails took this time and made a spin attack on him, knocking the hedgehog to the ground. The kit stopped spinning and stood on Sonic, applying pressure to the chest. "Bring him back! NOW!"

Sonic's emerald eyes came back, and his dark fur had dissipated. He was back to his blue self, falling into unconsciousness. Tails blinked, unable to register what just happened. Was it _that_ easy? He turned off his shock gloves, and the electricity vanished. The blue glow from the black metal was gone and he inspected the hedgehog with sadness written all over his face.

"S-Sonic?" Tails mumbled, crouching over to him. The hedgehog groaned and rolled over, ignoring the pain his body endured. _Must be sleeping._ Another thought in his head butted in. _Obviously! Look at him! He's all tuckered out!_ He lifted him up, setting his sights back on his house.

* * *

><p>He didn't notice how fast time had passed. It was already morning and he didn't realize it. He wasn't sleepy though. Everyone had slept in without his permission, but Tails didn't care. He made himself hot chocolate, sipping it with long pauses in between. The fox just stared at it, frowning. He couldn't get himself to look at Sonic, who was sleeping in <em>his<em> room. He leaned back in the chair, staring at the fridge. One of them had notes of making new inventions. The other note told Tails that Sonic had gone out for a run.

He sighed, staring back at his hot chocolate. The drink was half-empty and that was Tails' thoughts. He realized he hadn't changed, but he didn't seem to care. He left his drink to check on Sonic. He creaked up the stairs, and heard someone else leaving a room. Tails stared at Shadow, who was leaving one of the guest rooms. He was good as new, and he had his bandages all ripped out, in his hand.

"Why aren't you asleep?" Shadow asked. There were other thoughts in his head, like '_Is faker dead?_'

"It's already morning." Tails replied.

The two shared an awkward stare, before the Ultimate Life Form walked down the stairs, leaving Tails alone in the corridor. Tails was thinking about how Shadow had got out of his fatal condition. _Well, he _is_ the 'Ultimate Life Form'... could be genetically engineered to heal fast._ He thought, peering into his room. Why he left Sonic in _his_ room bothered him. He should've left him in his _own_ room, which was just right next to him. Furthermore, it was nearer to the stairs than his room.

The hedgehog hasn't stirred, which frustrated Tails. He can't be dead. He's checked his breathing and his pulse. Sonic rolled over in his sleep, while Tails leaned on the doorframe. Shadow came back and checked, almost pouncing on Sonic. Tails stared at him, befuddled.

"He's still here?" Shadow asked in a whisper-like tone. Tails nodded, crossing his arms. Shadow noted his demeanor, while the kit's eyes drifted to the ground. Shadow walked into the room, and noticed that Tails was still there, unchanged. _He doesn't care... _"Just what does faker mean to you now?"

The question took over Tails, like an infiltrator. He thought about it for a second, before responding. "He's my brother. He's famliy. I cared. Then, there was the lie... he still means something to me. Just less." His head looked up at the roof, as if he was gazing at the clouds. "Even if it kills me, I can't just leave him. He still means... so much."

"How much?"

Tails craned his head toward him, watching as the hedgehog was staring out of his window. "My whole life... dedicated to being like him. Devoted to him. If I just leave him when I can choose between his life and mine, it would be like leaving two of those options. It's like throwing my life away. It's like shoving my memories down the drain. He means _that_ much."

After a few seconds, Shadow realized, "You'd throw your life away instead of faker's. Which means you'd rather die than let faker make the sacrifice? You could move on. There are still other people here that care. And I'm pretty sure Sonic would pick to kill himself than let you die. Yet, you seem so calm... through everything that's happened. Why?"

"Because... you're right. There is someone out there." Tails immediately replied, breaking his position. He stood by the doorway, not leaning on anything. "This may sound cheesy, but... there's a guardian angel." With that, he left.

Shadow blinked, "Guardian angel...?"

* * *

><p>Nazo stood over the white tower, arms crossed. He stared at the ground below him. So far away. He peered over to the clouds. All with so many stories. Different planets, and yet one caught his attention. Mobius. That little fox changed him. He was feeling repent. He felt remorse. He regretted. "That's not supposed to be his mindset. What the hell did I do?"<p>

It's like something in him lit up. He remembered something. Just a bit. It befuddled him, how little he knew of the planet. And how mysterious that blue hedgehog is. There was no information on him. What was he hiding? All he knew was that he's the best adoptive brother ever. Nobody could do better. He and Tails were really brothers. Sonic the Hedgehog, the guardian of Mobius. His alter ego, the deity of distress. Now there was a broken bond, hanging by a thread. Tails was getting less of what he's supposed to be. Cheerful. _What the hell is happening?_

"No... Tails isn't supposed to feel like that to Sonic." Nazo stated, "Wait, why do I care? Am I that attached to the fox? That must be it. If I break our connection, he'll feel better with Sonic. But..."

_What is he doing? Why didn't he want to cut the relation?_

"...I remember."

Metal.

That's all he remembered.

_I should keep an eye._

* * *

><p><em>'Wake up.'<em>

_Eugh..._

_'Wake up, you old goof.'_

_Hey! What gave you the right to call me old?_

_'It was to further initiate the period I call 'you dumb dolt, wake the hell up already'.'_

_Er... What's your problem?_

_'My problem is you didn't heed my warnings! You transformed, you son of a bitch!'_

_So, what made you grouchy?_

_'I had to deal with your 'Super Dark' form and had to revert you back. You were unconscious in your consciousness, you twit. I had to find a way to put you back while watching your friend get pummelled and another one beat the crap outta you! Plus, I learned the origins of your promise! You even hesitated to use it two months ago! _What._ The _hell. Happened_?'_

_Well, you see, I transformed because I was sick and tired of everyone taunting me to do so. And then, here we are. Where are we anyways?_

_'Mobius. Don't you remember that I said 'your friend'?'_

_I thought you meant... Okay, so-_

_'Dumb asshole. You had a sacrifice. You shouldn't be here. Yet you are... Just how powerful is that form? It must've warped through realms.'_

_Good thing it tired out before I came here._

_'So, you summoned energy to escape, lost most of your power getting here, then you got three Chaos Emeralds... I believe _Shadow_ was the victim and _Tails_ was the victor.'_

_T-Tails? Oh no..._

_'Yep, jackass, broke the promise.'_

_I have to apologize!_

* * *

><p>Sonic stirred, sitting up in the bed with sweat. It was Tails' room. But why was he in Tails' room? He looked down to check if he was a fox, and to his relief, he was still a hedgehog. He looked over to the clock and it was early in the morning. He looked at the calendar, and saw a mark that said 'My 9th birthday!', but it was crossed out. Actually, the two days in front were crossed as well. <em>Oh man, I even missed his birthday! <em>Helios was about to tell him, but remained silent. He hurriedly got out of the bed, until a creak was heard.

"I didn't think he could carry that many rings-" Tails was staring at a blue hedgehog who was crouched down from the bed, looking like he was escaping. The fox furiously tackled him down. The two wrestled, but with Tails' new expertise in fighting, he brought him into a light stranglehold and won.

"Tails! It's me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I broke the promise!" Sonic pleaded, gasping for air afterwards. The kit didn't budge, but turned it into a headlock, letting Sonic breathe easier. The hedgehog looked over to the other people, which were Knuckles and Amy. The two grinned at the sight, watching as Tails brought an end to Sonic's winning streak.

Tails let go eventually, thinking he had enought time messing around with him. Sonic wheezed, staying on the ground. He thought either Amy would pounce on him or Knuckles would punch him playfully, but Tails... he attempted murder! "Gee, I wasn't using that much force." the kit remarked, sitting on his bed.

"I was holding back." Sonic lied, trying to stand up. A forceful blow landed on the back of his head, and he clutched his head in pain. He turned around to see Knuckles with his arm pointing downwards. "Uh... What was that for?" He was interrupted by a hammer swung into the back of his head. He came back up, rubbing the back of his head. A single tear leaked from his eyes. "Seriously! What were those for?!"

"That was for scaring me, Sonic." Amy replied, putting her hands on her hips. "You were out for two days!" Sonic acknowledged her, and he turned to look for Knuckles' reason.

The echidna answered, "Because."

"That's not even a reason!" Sonic protested.

"Rouge used that on me and it was perfectly fine!" Knuckles replied loudly.

"You didn't say anything against her!?" Sonic asked, screaming.

"Oh, shut up, you two." Tails chimed in, arms crossed.

Sonic was speechless for a moment, before yelling at the kit. "Tails! What did we say about using those words?"

"No using them until I'm old enough." Tails sighed. "But this is my house!"

_'He did say that you were a lying bastard two days ago. And that was the morning after his birthday.' _Helios informed. _'You and I were okay with it. Though, I prefer he call you a piece of shit better.'_

_WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY!? I WILL RIP your... Oh yeah, you just reminded me..._

"Tails," Sonic stared at him eye-to-eye, which weirded everyone in the room for a second. "I'm sorry." he finally ended, in which Tails looked over for something to do. He knew it would take some time until he finishes.

_'You just said that__ a minute ago!'_

_Shut up! I forgot or lost track or somethin'._ "I'm sorry that I broke the promise, and that I..." He looked over to Amy and Knuckles, who were listening intently, but had no idea what he was talking about. "Huh. That's practically all I did. I just broke a promise." He looked over to Tails, who was throwing some kind of machine at the last second. "Were you even listening to me?"

"It was a promise so deadly you shouldn't even break! Why did you?" Tails responded almost immediately. Sonic was left to think things through until he finally had an answer.

"It was to escape sacrifice." Sonic replied, almost nonchalantly. Knuckles and Amy had some idea to that, and it warmed Amy's heart that Sonic had done that. Knuckles... not so much.

"Basically, you're saying you escaped death."

Everyone gasped at the arrival of the black hedgehog, except for Tails, Amy and Knuckles. Which meant only Sonic gasped. Well, actually none of them gasped, but Sonic had the slight surprised look. "Uh, no. I didn't escape death. I was actually sent to somewhere as a sacrifice. Stay there for all eternity, and death would be far better when you realize it. And I escaped it."

"You didn't kill yourself to save Tails?" Rouge asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"No. But that would've been a _lot_ better. Too bad Heli-I mean, the gods, wouldn't want death as a sacrifice because it was a mercy." Sonic explained, looking back. "And yeah, I turned into the thing to escape another realm. Aren't you all proud of me?"

"If betraying your decision with the gods mean something to be proud of, then... yeah, that sounds impressive, if you hadn't snapped my neck twice." Shadow replied, glaring at him.

Sonic paled. "I wasn't in control. I swear."

"Oh, and what about 'Sonic the Deity'. Was Sonic the Hedgehog not good enough?" Shadow asked. Everyone but Tails looked bewildered, scratching their heads. The one who was most perplexed was Sonic, who was staring at Shadow like he had grown another head. "Oh, you really weren't in control."

_'Hah! I remember.' _Helios stated.

_I don't. _Sonic replied inwardly, baffled.

* * *

><p>Tails stayed in the garage, which was newly cleaned. He stopped all his Chaos Emerald projects to stay safe from danger. Miles Prower. He was still there. The Chaos Energy influence was strong enough to make an evil persona. All he had to do was stay away from Chaos Energy, and if he was tainted and still in control, he would need to release it immediately. The fox created a small mechanical laser pointer in minutes, and when he pressed the button, a red light shot out and melted the wall. "Well, that escalated quickly."<p>

"Hey, Tails?"

"Yeah?" the fox responded, turning his chair and finding Sonic leaning on the doorframe, with two mugs. The kit wasn't wearing his white gi, the giant belt and the vest. He changed his gloves and sneakers to look as casual as before. _And it feels _so_ good not wearing the vest and the belt anymore. They weigh just as much as me! I feel as light as a feather!_

"I decided that, to say sorry, I made hot chocolate for you." Sonic said as he handed out one of the mugs to Tails. The fox thankfully took it and sipped the drink. He looked back at Sonic who was just admiring the plane. "Took years didn't it?"

"Uh... what?"

"The tornado! And then it stayed motionless for two months with no tune-ups... because both of us didn't need it anymore." Sonic replied in a sad tone, placing his hand on the propeller.

"Hey, that isn't true! I still need the tornado! ...because I'd probably get tired flying for more than five hundred miles." Tails explained, childishly spinning around in his chair. He stopped and tried to think of a topic to talk about. "So, anything you'd like?"

"I would like the fourth Chaos Emerald, that would be nice." Sonic joked, taking a sip from his mug. "Oh, and also the route to the computer room. That would be okay, thanks."

Tails stared at Sonic, befuddled. He didn't understand the joke and continued to sip on his drink. "So, anything that _I_ know that you would want?"

Sonic subconsciously pointed at a blaster, whilst speaking. "The T-43 blaster rifle, could I get that?" he asked. Tails shrugged and leaned more on his chair. He was a tad bit surprised that he got the name correctly, but the name was referring to the full version, while he was just pointing at the prototype.

"Sure, it's just a prototype, but yeah, take it if you want." Tails replied, drinking his mug afterwards. The kit stared into the half-full cup, while Sonic took hold of the rifle and started to walk away.

"Thanks, now I could show Shadow what a _real_ gun looks like."

"Heh, forgot to tell him it had no ammunition." Tails mumbled, smiling as he stared at the chocolate drink.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ...**

**Cream went back to Vanilla. Should I leave that here, or... Yea, I should leave it here.**


	8. Beginning of Mayhem

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

_**Beginning of Mayhem**_

It had been a fun week for the gang. They had spent the week at Tails' place and it was fun. And 'fun' because it was the only word they could describe it as. Nope, Shadow didn't describe it as that. He never said anything about it. The gang was watching television, while Sonic was out on a run and Tails had locked himself in the garage. Amy, Knuckles and Rouge were watching TV, but Shadow wasn't focused on it. The latter had his arms crossed and grumpy expression on, unable to entertain himself by watching an electronic.

Sonic came back from the run, arriving at nighttime. The only one that noticed was Shadow, and he begun to tell his thoughts to his opposite. "Faker," Shadow called, whipping his head from the television. "We need to talk."

"Uh... About what?" Sonic asked suspiciously. Shadow hopped off the couch, walking intimidatingly over to the blue blur.

"I need to set things straight with you and Tails. You need to convince the fox that he should move on when you die." Shadow said, almost as a whisper. "Two days before you woke, we talked about something. And he obviously told me in an obscure manner that he couldn't live without you."

"Obscure manner-WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO TAILS!?" Sonic demanded overprotective-ly. This took the attention of all the people in the house as they were wondering what happened. Shadow ignored them and gave them a certain death glare before putting his focus on the hedgehog. Everyone instantly faced the TV after seeing Shadow give the glare.

"One of the definitions of obscure is to hide something, is it not? Tails hid his thoughts from me, but I knew it because he told me without knowing." Shadow explained, but not calming the hedgehog down.

Sonic pointed his index finger in front of his face. "What did you do to gain certain information?"

"I asked him how much you mean to him." Shadow answered as he crossed his arms. "All I want you to do is to talk to him about how his life is just as important as yours. Everyone is equal for they have lives." the ebony hedgehog took Sonic's shoulders and took this talk to a serious level. Even Sonic's attention level increased. "He will _kill_ himself, if you die by some maniac's hands. You have to talk him out of it, so everyone else doesn't mourn over his death after yours."

"Okay, okay..." Sonic replied, backing away. "So, talk to him so he doesn't kill himself after I die... actually..." _Helios, what are your thoughts?_

_'Seems kinda dark.'_

_Yeah, I should give him a talk..._ "Right, to prevent my brother's death, I shall tell him that he should move on when _I_ die." Sonic faintly saluted as he headed for the garage, which was locked. Shadow was about to reply back, but held back when he told himself he already did what he wanted. Sonic knocked the door and waited. _When is he coming out?_

_'Probably never.'_

* * *

><p> Loading... /

/ Plan: Last Resort Backup /

/ Target: Sonic the Hedgehog. /

/ Data Scan: Unnecessary. /

/ Proceed Extermination. /

"_Uncanny._" the metal copy of the blue hedgehog said in a monotone voice. "_My programs are being overridden. Robotnik is smarter than I thought._" he remarked, blasting into the air. "_But, no new data. Just destroy._" His visor glinted with the sun's rays. "_Interesting._"

/ Update: V.10 /

/ Full-Power Mode Engaged /

/ Activating Solar Ray Absorption /

/ Activating Hidden Weaponry /

/ Activating Infinite Power Core /

/ Activating Energy Signal Locator /

/ Activating Chaos Energy Absorption /

...And so on.

"_Robotnik really wants to kill him this time._" The robot stared at its metal claws, shimmering under the sunlight. A blue glow surrounded him, a product of new energy and power coursing through its cold metal body. Metal was running on the sun's energy, and the 'Infinite Power Core' and such. With new upgrades that were implanted since he was just a mere robot slave. These new technological enhancements were the beginning of Sonic's downfall, and the upbringing of a new era. He created a fist, lighting it up with energy. "_Then so be it._"

He threw his arm out, blasting new power at the other side of the planet.

* * *

><p><em>'I sense danger.'<em>

_Like _you_ could predict it._

The television suddenly flashed with an emergency broadcasting. The news headline showed up, surprising everyone in vicinity. "_A robot is destroying the world! Chaos help us all!_" the unprofessional news reporter screamed, running away from the camera. Scenes of an explosion through a whole city followed. And a blue blur, shining with white light, zoomed through the sky at hypersonic speeds.

"NO!" Sonic yelled, accelerating from zero to the speed of sound in a second. Shadow used Chaos Control to get there instantly while Knuckles vanished, leaving the girls in shock.

The door to the garage had swung open, revealing nothing as it was hanging limply by the hinge.

* * *

><p>Destruction: The action or process of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired.<p>

Also the definition of the place Sonic was running in. It looked like a giant crater which was 10 miles in radius, with blue flames engulfing parts of it. The blue hedgehog gritted his teeth at the sight, before creating a sonic boom and boosting himself further. A metallic blue figure showed itself from the smoke, watching Sonic with interest, before turning and rocketing away.

"Metal!" the blue hedgehog shouted, running beyond the speed of sound. A green light showed itself and Shadow had appeared with six Chaos Emeralds dangling around him. Sonic nodded at his direction, before putting full concentration on his speed. Knuckles had the yellow Chaos Emerald, and he had yet to appear on the scene.

"Knew I should've told Knuckles to give it to me." Shadow grumbled as he teleported again, traveling through time and space. He did this by shifting the space between a destination and himself. It was like creating a realm where you can portal yourself through places with a time limit. Almost akin to pulling the place closer to you by force.

* * *

><p>There he was, teleporting into another piece of destroyed land where the two would end up at. Living and non-living had raced to the finish line, with Sonic winning by an inch. The metal copy engaged into a fight, ramming itself into Sonic's side. He thought it was because he had won that made it aggravated, so of course his reply to that action was: "Hey! I won that fair and square!" He was also gonna compliment him that it was faster than before, but the robot replied before he spoke.<p>

"_It is not that I wanted to win, pale copy. It is because I am forced to do Robotnik's orders. He said he wanted to kill you, enabling robotic enhancements to my figure._" It showed it off by aiming its hand at him, transforming it into a ray cannon. "_Now, die._"

A yellow beam of light engulfed the hedgehog, while Shadow remained stoic and prepared himself to fight. But found out Sonic was yielding, and had somehow outran the light. Sonic ran back behind Metal, sending out a spinning homing attack into the back of its robotic body. Metal Sonic was pushed forward by the impact, but slowly came back and turned, delivering a shattering kick into Sonic's ball form. The hedgehog was sent miles away, after getting kicked like a football. Part of him felt the need to go faster, while the other part was... Attack! Attack! Attack!

_How much vibration do I need to pull off that heat thingy?_

_'Oh, you're seriously doing it? Well, I don't know how to tell you, but I do know I could activate it myself.'_

_Then do it. Let's melt this piece of junk! _He used his ball form to roll at vast speeds, rolling a U-turn, heading straight back for Metal Sonic. "Hey! I'm not done yet!" His body began to heat up, and Sonic remembered the amount of vibration needed to get to this level. _Well, I'm learning as this goes on..._ He crashed straight into Metal, even tearing some parts with his sped up spin-attack, fueled with everlasting heat. His body turned reddish-blue, somewhat damaging the robot. But it didn't exactly melt him. _Hey! What's the temperature needed to get in order to melt metal?_

_'About 1,500 degrees... I don't exactly remember.'_

_How hot am I? Darn, that sounded wrong to ask you._

_'Not enough to melt 'metal'.'_

_Dang it. _Sonic stood back up, maintaining his form. _What's the maximum temperature I can reach here?_

_'Well, over enough to melt metal, but it's when you're overheating or when you're exploding.'_

_Well, both sides are pretty bad, but I don't want to destroy my arm again. So... _He aimed a punch into the robot's head, only for it to be caught midway. His metal claws dug into his glove, which was expressing heat by steaming abundantly. This temperature was enough to make Miles yelp just by touching it, yet Metal seemed to handle it. _Okay, this guy _might_ be worse than Miles Prower._

_'Because he's a robot and feels no pain?'_

_Uh... exactly._

"_You know, hedgehog, even if you disassemble me, I'll come back._" Metal announced, getting Shadow's attention. Sonic retracted his fist, aiming another punch or kick at the robot. "_I found out I have been made of... nanobots._"

The small pieces of shrapnel that Sonic had struck off, now turned into a gray vortex of metal. _Now_, the blue hedgehog was listening, glancing at the nanobots and back at Metal. The blue robot spread its arms, before dispersing into a blue vortex of tiny machines. Sonic was turning red. Overheating. The blue blur ran into the blue vortex, which dodged him. Sonic tumbled into the ground, steam was distributed through his body, turning him back to blue. He gave out a puff, sweat rolling down his face.

By logic, all his bodily fluids should've been turned to steam, all rising out of his nose, ears or mouth. But he was still intact, for some ludicrous reason. Well, maybe there was _no_ reason, and he's still here 'cause he can. Well, that's a ridiculous reason too. Sonic glanced at Shadow, who was staying out of the fight, being a spectator at most. "We didn't come here for you to stand around with six Chaos Emeralds, taunting me to lose!" Sonic chided.

Shadow snorted and replied, "I didn't really tell you why I'm here, did I? Now _you_ have no excuse."

"Where did _that_ come from?" the blue hedgehog demanded to know of Shadow's demeanor, also trying to stay up after pulling off the vibration thingy. Metal Sonic rushed at them both, Shadow teleported away while Sonic dashed to the side. Metal veered off from his direction and took after Sonic, who was having trouble with his body. It was just shivering and shaking so much. "Crap, why can't I pull it off now?"

_'Because you need _me_ to flick the switch.'_

_Aw... Anything else other than destroying myself?_

_'No.'_

_Well then, looks like I'll just have to fight like old times. We're gonna race-_

_'Won't work.' _Helios reasoned.

_Well, we're really gonna have to fight. _Sonic finished his thoughts as he kicked the metal storm out of the way, but the metal copy changed form and turned back into his hedgehog apearance. Which was quite humanoid. He rushed at Sonic like a missile, flames sprouting from the hole in his body. Sonic shifted his weight into one side, doing a flip while dodging Metal. The robot aimed his arm at him, transforming it into a gun and shooting a blue energy at him. Sonic barely missed that one in the air as well.**  
><strong>

He landed perfectly on the ground with his two feet, rubbing his cheek. "That was _too_ close for comfort." he remarked silently, before dashing at the robot. Metal landed on the ground, scraping dirt with its feet, as it turned to punch the hedgehog in the face. Sonic ducked under his arm, jumping up when he was out of its arm proximity and launching a homing attack at Metal. He crashed into it, breaking off some nanobots. Pieces of junk sprawled on the ground, before getting itself repaired. "Aren't the pieces going to deactivate when I hit them?"

"_Some did._" the cold robotic voice replied, grabbing his leg and flinging him onto the ground, shattering the earth upon impact. Sonic could feel something break, but he didn't waste time and kicked at the robot's head, tearing it off. The robot head calmly floated in the air, before transforming into a ranged weapon itself and shooting solar rays at the hedgehog. It seared Sonic's arms when he put them out to block. What was left were superficial burns on his arms, and the small flames that surrounded him.

_How did I survive that?_ Sonic asked inwardly, getting no response from Helios. He patted away the fire on his elbow, before curling into a ball and spinning a few feet away to catch his breath. It was a mistake, since he felt all of the damages on his body once the adrenaline rush had ran out. He tried to stand up, only to get knocked down by something fast. He opened his eyes to see Tails a few feet from him, while a blue laser covered the sky. "T-Tails?!"

The fox grinned before setting his eyes on the robot. Metal had its arm outstretched, a rail gun-like weapon replacing its arm. Its head was still aloft, while one of its arms were ripped. It was still wrapped around Sonic's leg, which terrified him. But he kicked it off, and glanced at Tails again. The fox was wearing a black vest, a black belt and silver pants. He didn't notice the black robot parts on his wrists or ankles, but he did notice the sudden change.

"Uh..." the blue hedgehog trailed away.

Tails noticed and blatantly replied, "It's been a _long_ time, Sonic."

"_O_-kay..." Sonic finished, setting his jaw. He stood side by side with Tails, glaring at the robot. It was nice fighting with Tails again, like when they destroyed and foiled Robotnik's plans. Now, they were fighting against Robotnik's creation. The arm crept up Sonic's leg, but he kicked it with enough force for it to hit Metal's head with such precision.

"Nice one." Tails remarked, smiling at him.

Sonic grinned, replying, "You're talkin' to Sonic the Hedgehog. Of course I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

_'Some were from me.'_

_Yea...-shut up. _Sonic replied inwardly, and Tails prepared himself. Sonic readied himself as well, digging one foot into the ground, ready to launch himself. "Ready, Tails?"

"Ready!" the fox responded. Sonic rushed at Metal, and Tails did the same, but an inch behind. Sonic turned into a ball and bounced up into Metal's head and grabbed it, spinning it around, and finally getting out of his ball form and throwing it into the robot's body. Tails twisted his namesakes, boosting himself at Metal and then spinning his body around around as well, creating a constant sweeping motion of a cutting blade. The fox cut through Metal, shards of nanobot pieces flailing in the air.

Sonic whistled, falling into the air. "Nice one!"

Tails ceased his spinning and wobbled around, before getting control of his body. "Thanks." he replied, his head wobbling and his eyes circling. He shook his head and focused on the Metal robot, who was regenerating. Well, robotic-regeneration with nanobots. "Ugh, what'll stop you?"

"_Nothing._" Metal replied, getting back up.

"What about Chaos Energy?"

Metal turned his head to the voice, alerts popping up in his HUD.

/ WARNING: Chaos Energy Overload! /

/ WARNING: Massive Energy Upfront! /

/ WARNING: Massive Energy Output Upfront! /

/ WARNING: Power Levels Are Above Scale! /

...And other stuff. Metal couldn't feel, but it knew danger. Electric bolts trailed off in directions, all coming from one power source. Shadow had both arms outstretched, in a 'making an evil potion' way. Inches between his palms was a five inch ball of power, radiating Chaos Energy. The six Chaos Emeralds glowed, shining, and it turned into specks of light. Shadow had all this charged while he wasn't noticing, which was impossible. His radars should've warned him before. But then, he _was_ fighting Sonic and Tails, forcing him to put _them_ as the main priority, _not_ Shadow.

The ebony hedgehog smirked as the colorful ball of light shined brightly. "Any last words?" Shadow waited. "No? **CHAOS THUNDER!**" Shadow yelled, and the light ball turned into a bolt of lightning, hurled at Metal's direction. The electricity arched into all of Metal's nanobots, short-circuiting them, rendering him useless. It shot out the back of the metal body, since the amount of Chaos Energy charged was _so_ great, it had remains. Shadow did some movement with his arms, and the bolt changed trajectory and went back to Metal, piercing straight through the black hole, and charging it so much it had broken.

Shadow fell to his knees, after 'overkill'-ing Metal Faker. He wouldn't say it as that, since all he did was fry the circuitry of the robot. If it could repair itself, even after this, he's going to scream out bullshit. A lone scrap neared the motionless robot, as Sonic and Tails exclaimed:

"Come _on_, Shadow. Always taking the last hit."

"_Shadow_! What the heck!"

They shouted it respectively. Shadow stared at both of them, and then stared at the robot. "At least it's all fried now. What's Knuckles doing?"

"He's... healing the injured. And," Tails gulped, "The Master Emerald doesn't seem very good lately. Like something bad used its energy."

_'Something bad he says. Could it be that-'_

_Shut up. _Sonic told Helios, while putting his arm on his hip. "Look, guys. We're going to have to replant this whole ground Metal destroyed. And rebuild towns and cities-"

"What makes you think I'll listen?" Shadow asked, sitting down.

"Because... we created this mess?" Sonic tried, shrugging nervously as he knew that wasn't the answer. Tails raised his hand and answered.

"Because you were the one that deactivated Metal Sonic." Tails began, "Thus making you the hero today. This makes you special, being the one that saved the day and all that, but also, you proved to be the strongest among us, so you have to take responsibilities now and then to help the society. Heck, maybe you could take Sonic's place and nobody would see the difference," A '_hey_!' was heard from Sonic, who was crossing his arms angrily. "You saved the day now, by finishing off Metal Sonic. You hold the most responsibility in saving the world this day, and helping everyone else live another day." he ended lamely, trying to lengthen it as much as possible.

Shadow grunted at the response, before making his own, "Even though I finished Scrap Metal, he was Faker's problem to handle first. I don't care what happens to this planet. If it's safe, then it's safe. I don't even _think_ of the civilians. Faker does, and so do you. I appreciate the fact that you called me a hero, but let's be honest, nobody would think of _me_ as a hero. This was Faker's metal copy, made by Eggman. The doctor is the grandson of my creator, which gives me a relationship with him, but that has been disconnected. Faker here still has an archrival relationship with him, so I don't take much attention." his reply was mockingly long, just like Tails had done. "Tails, don't try and follow Faker all the time, he'll bound to be misleading. Follow your own steps, and be the hero instead of one of us."

"Uh... This got awkward." Sonic chimed in. "When did this get from hating the world to leading Tails' life as a hero?" Tails watched them both, as the two glared at each other for a moment.

"Tails, rest assured you'll find it better to step in your own shoes than Faker's. His ones are already tainted with his feet." Shadow joked, but left a lesson in there. Sonic didn't make a retort, because he was still thinking about the consequences of his death.

_'You know... you could stop thinking about that for a while. I could vaporise your body, so nobody could say you're dead and your funeral wouldn't be made.'_

_Shush, Helios._

_'That's the first time you've told me to shut up without saying "shut up".'_

_Shut up, Helios. _Sonic said inwardly, and the mind wizard complied. "You know, Tails, maybe when I'm gone, you could-" _You must._ "-take my place as the hero. You know, get yourself something to do without me. Since I'll be staying in those retirement homes that you call 'boring'. And you could do something more productive by saving people, if that's okay with you." He tried his best to not let Tails go when he died, even putting the retirement thingy as a lie.

Tails scratched his head. "Well..."

Light shimmered around Metal, as its red eyes sprang back to life. "_Plan B engaged._"

Shadow, Sonic and Tails were speechless, and Shadow was on the verge to-

"Bullshit! This is bullshit!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Did I... Did everyone... Did _I_ forget Tails and Shadow have immortality in this story? What's the point in writing that first part?****

****You saw Metal's updates, right? Remember, it wrote: /Chaos Energy Absorption/ And Shadow blasted him with the power of SIX Chaos Emeralds. Where does this lead our heroes to? Only one way to find out... NEXT TIME ON SONIC'S PROTÉGÉ. (Gosh, that sounds weird. Maybe I have to change the title after all...)****

****Anyway, if you want to know my schedule with these chapters, I'll tell you this: I update whenever the next chapter is finished. Meaning, chapter 9 is already finished when I post this. This is when I put some finishing touches on chapter 9 and work on chapter 10. So, I'm working on chapter 9 while also working on chapter 10. If you want previews of the next chapter, you could PM me...****

****Chapter 9 has 5.1k words. The longest chapter I have ever written and most probably the most action-packed. I hope you could wait till chapter 10 is finished.****


	9. Fall of the Ultimate

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

**_Fall of the Ultimate_**

Shadow tensed up as he stood, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. The six Chaos Emeralds shimmered brightly around him, almost like white specks trailing in the air. Sonic and Tails put on a stance, ready to knock around the machine. Metal moved again, glowing with an ominous golden light. The yellow tint around it came about constantly, like it was circulating through its wiring. Sonic could feel Chaos Energy emitting from the robot, and at most it was on the sixth tier of power. Another tier up, and it would, _maybe_, completely shine gold.

"_I see the looks on your faces._" Metal contemplated as it turned to the Sonic, "_Horrified,_" it turned to Shadow, "_Anguished, and..._" It finally laid its eyes on Tails, a red light clicking into its visor. "_Enthusiasm? Why are _you_ happy?_" it asked, suspicious of the kit.

"Why shouldn't I?" Tails retorted and he charged at the robot, only to stop midway. With the screech of his boots, he suddenly remembered it, and the dust settled in. Sonic and Shadow were confused at this point. Why did he stop? _Lotsa Chaos Energy radiating from it. I must be careful with what I do. I can't just charge in with the only thought of smacking it around now. _Tails vanished from their sights, before a beep warned Metal and he ducked under a tail slap.

The robotic hedgehog made a sweep kick, knocking Tails down, all the while transferring power into the Chaos Energy sponge. The fox knew he siphoned energy, and that he can't get in with too much contact with it. He needed to use it up before the other part takes over. Tails vanished again, but Metal found him just right above him. The fox made a powerful double axe handle, which clashed right into Metal's head. Stunned, the fox used this advantage and shot off a sphere of Chaos Energy into Metal's head.

It exploded upon impact, and smoke washed over the remains. Tails huffed before landing on the ground, contemplating at what he did. "I guess... I _could_ use it. But only a little." _I should immediately disperse it when I've got it. It might be dangerous, but it didn't affect me just now. That should be a good sign, right? _The dust cloud crawled off Metal's head, only to show that the robot was unfazed. "_Okay_..."

Sonic watched as his little brother fought against one of his rivals. One that turned into a nightmare when all seven Chaos emeralds had been gathered. What was he doing in the sidelines? He should help him! He's the bigger brother, he's the unofficial guardian of Mobius, he should be there instead. _How did Metal come back? Shadow shot it twice! And Tails must've barreled through its tin skull with that blast! Nanobots or not, it should've been deactivated with Shadow's attack!_

_'Sonic, I know what's going on!'_

_Uh, yeah, shoot._

_'Metal can absorb Chaos Energy.' _Helios informed. Sonic was dazed for a second, watching as Tails held his own against the robot. The fox swung an uppercut into Metal's jaw, before landing three kicks into its torso. He ended it with a double kick, pushing Metal away. Once Tails had his ground, Metal retaliated with a jab to the face. The impact sent Tails sprawling over the ground, tumbling back to a stance. The fox dashed back at the opponent, before getting kicked in the jaw.

_Oh, crud. _Sonic replied inwardly, as Tails retaliated a kick, but it was blocked by Metal. The fox clicked something in his wrists, and electricity crackled around the kit's hands. Tails threw a punch, that was caught by the metallic copy of the blue blur, and he unwittingly struck again, using his other hand. It was also caught by Metal. The two were on the struggle of strength and willpower, as both pushed each other back, arms in a cross-like hold. Metal pushed its head front, slamming into Tails' forehead, and kicked him away. _Far_ away.

_'So, use as little Chaos Energy as possible-'_

_Right, no Chaos Emeralds. _Sonic charged at his metallic copy, feinted a head-on attack, ushered past through him and prepared an attack from the back. Metal swirled around, making rapid jabs at the hedgehog. Sonic took note of each and every of their target, all missing by an inch. What caught his mind, was that each one could trigger a fatal blow to the hedgehog, which he did not see happening with Tails. He ducked under another jab, before making a left hook, which stunned the both. It dug straight through the robot's iron defenses, while making Sonic's hand quiver in agony. "AW," Sonic wailed, "That _did_ take you by surprise!"

"_Not quite._" Metal's buzzing monotone voice replied, kneeing the organic hedgehog in the face. The impact sent Sonic into the air, but he was caught by the leg, making a sudden stop which made Sonic's head pop, and he was slammed into the ground. Pain made way to his body as he felt pressure on his body, all spiking up. Metal reeled in his catch, scratching the hedgehog against the earth.

Sonic bit back a scream, as another kind of pain shocked his body. His left leg felt cold metal grazing his bones. Sonic wanted to yell, as he felt blood rush through his leg in a futile manner. It was all building up, and the lower part of his leg was numb. His heart pounded as he felt fear again. Something he did _not_ want to show. The other two knew he was scared, but he didn't want to show it. He peered over to his leg, watching as he saw Metal's 'iron crumpling' grip on his poor leg.

"You _really_ don't want me to run anymore." Sonic joked, as his pupils shrunk at the sight. Red liquid was huddling around his limb, and he was filled with frustration. Frustrated that he couldn't do anything about it. He could cut through metal with a single attack. He could literally _bend_ metal bars with just his arms. But he couldn't get out of a robot's deadly grip. He could see Tails in the distance, rubbing his head painfully, before making an angry run for him.

"Me_? Don't want _you_ to run?_" Metal asked in a _cold _unsympathetic manner. "_I want you to _die_._"

"That's unsettling." Sonic smirked idiotically.

Metal glared at him, suspicious with the response. It was filled with quirkiness, but not agony. That dumb smile on his face, it looked like he didn't know what he was going through. Then it hit him, with electricity. Tails crashed into Metal with enough force to shatter all the glass in your house. All of which had devastated its appearance. Each blow was a face-changer. One punch to the face had all of his metallic features in one side, the other had a fist imprinted on it and scraps of metal were missing. Sparks lit in its interior design, a sign that he had just broken it.

"You will _not_ kill _my_ big brother!" Tails commanded angrily, kicking it in the head. He crouched down, clicking something in his heels. Metal reformed itself with its nanobots, self-repairing all the damages. Tails' red and white shoes had a blue glow to it, and it had something to do with electricity. He stomped on Metal's head, charging it with an electrical shock. It overcharged it, seeing that it had an 'Infinite Power Core' and the sun helping him, smoke had obviously sizzled from the attack.

Metal was faced with numerous boot smashings, before catching one inches away from his face. Tails' strength and anger couldn't overpower Metal. He had the power to go toe to toe with Dark Super Sonic, but he couldn't do it with a piece of junk. Tails pushed himself over the limit, and he almost was on the verge of spazzing out. Metal reigned victorious, grabbing Tails' foot off and throwing him into the sky. The robotic hedgehog took off into the air, following the fox's trail. When Tails regained control, he was already too late. A kick to the head sent him back to the ground, head first, shattering dirt upon impact.

Tails picked himself up, feeling the burn and the stings on his body. His clothes were stained with the color of rubies. He head felt painfully different, and he could see pools and splatters of his bodily fluid. His head felt... twisted. Sprained. Wet. He touched his forehead, feeling something like warm water. Putting his fingers in front of his eyes, he could only see red.

Lots of red. Everywhere.

The fox felt lightheaded. His body gave out and fell limp on the cracked surface of the earth.

He had fainted from the lack of blood in his system.

Sonic got back up, going through the torments of his leg. It felt like a metal hammer constantly being swung down on his leg. _In_ his leg. His back had been scraped like being mashed with concrete road. Red scratches and marks could be seen mainly on his left leg and his back. His head swelled, and he felt like he was lugging around ten tons between his shoulders. _What the hell...?_

_'Ahem... Helios' report: Tails is down. He has fainted by blood loss-'_

_Blood loss? _Sonic's eyes flashed, while he strolled on a lonely road to death. Limping around as he did.

_'You're not looking good. And Shadow's been... I don't know, dazy?'_

Sonic turned his head to Shadow, which was the worst decision. His head fell forward once Shadow was in view, which caused a massive turbulence on his body as he crashed onto the ground. His right leg gave out, while his left was torn. Torn to shreds. He too blacked out of the battle.

Shadow watched as two 'titans' fell. He clutched his arm, making a mocking grunt in response to their unconscious bodies. Metal flew back to the ground, stalking Sonic down and stopping when he was a feet from him. The first action, was a brutal stomp. Shadow glared in disgust, before recovering a fine amount of his energy back. He rubbed the golden rings on his wrists, before facing Metal.

"_You want some?_" Metal taunted.

Shadow looked through this, and started with, "What are you programmed for?"

"_The annihilation of my pale copy._" Metal Sonic responded, before a buzzing noise was heard and he rephrased it. "_The annihilation of Sonic the Hedgehog._"

"Did it need to be violent?" Shadow seethed.

"_Torture is a key point to his wanted destruction._" Metal said. Shadow clutched his right arm, while walking toward him.

"That's nice to know." Shadow smirked, "The Ultimate Life Form thinks it's pointless for you to do this. Why do it? For the Doctor? If anything, I thought you wanted freedom from that _crazy_ scientist. Like me."

Metal's red pupils blinked. He changed his stiff and rigid posture and went for something casual. "_I am the real Sonic. The fastest thing alive._" he reassured himself, which befuddled Shadow. Somehow, this machine was able to feel _emotion_. "_I'm doing this for myself. I will not stop until my copy-_" A yellow spark shot off from Metal's neck, and he continued, ignoring whatever he just said. "_-I will not stop until Sonic the Hedgehog is dead._"

"You're malfunctioning..." Shadow stated in a barely audible tone. "You're tearing yourself apart!"

Metal didn't respond, but Shadow achieved liftoff.

* * *

><p><span>The sky...<span>

Shadow commanded his hover shoes to work, and strengthened the support with the Chaos Emeralds. He grumbled as he rubbed his chin, feeling the sensation of pain there. Metal had uppercutted him into the sky, without him knowing. Was that just the pinnacle of its strength? Or was Shadow just _that_ weak? If he knew Chaos Energy enhanced Metal Sonic, he would've avoid using them at all costs. But he didn't know.

"**Chaos Spear!**" Shadow yelled, swaying his arm out to release a multitude of light arrows. Metal avoided them, even though it knew it could absorb them. But that risks the percentage of having a disruption. He would need to take awhile to function the Chaos Energy into fuel and power for itself.

Shadow gritted his teeth and curled into a ball. He revved up, blasting off into Metal. The robotic hedgehog just started to fly, and crashed head-on into the colliding object. Some nanobots flew off, deactivated, while some came back. Shadow uncurled and kicked the head of the robot, only to have it transform into a rail gun and blast him away. Metal flew to its head and took it in his arms, using it as a gun.

The ebony hedgehog used Chaos Control and materialized behind Metal, wanting to get the element of surprise. To his luck, it did. He used his limbs to create a mixture of attacks, scraping Metal's back. It did damage somewhat, but Metal's body reformed, head on his shoulders and glaring at Shadow. The ebony hedgehog gave a mocking smirk and did a homing attack on the machine. He kept using the spin-attack, and to his surprise it made more damage than before. He straightened a bit, just to check on the damage, and smirked even more. Metal was just a heap of junk, like pieces of iron and titanium all smashed together. He curled back into a ball and boosted himself at the robot.

_Faker's attack is more useful than I thought._ Shadow remarked inwardly. _Just when I thought it was just a cheap attack, it's actually efficient on damaging metal. _He uncurled again, seeing the robotic hedgehog smashed into pieces in the air. It tried to reconnect itself, but Shadow used Chaos Spear and blasted them away. To his dismay, it actually made it faster to repair itself. _Feh, Chaos Energy is making it work better... It's like..._ Shadow realized something, "No..."

"_The 'Chaos Thunder' attack gave me more power? Yes, and you just realized it. Took you long enough._" Metal said, but his head wasn't found anywhere. The sound was just made from the repairing machine. Shadow narrowed his eyes and frowned. Metal continued, "_You were feeding Chaos Energy to me a while ago. I was fazed by the amount of energy I was taking in, but it was all for a good cause. Now, I'm stronger than before._"

_If only Knuckles gave me that other Chaos Emerald, Faker and I could've concluded _its_ story._ Shadow thought grimly. _I almost used that other thing I've found during the past week, good thing I didn't. Amplifying Chaos Energy would only make it better. Or would it? _Shadow knew the only thing he could do now was use raw power, but then, "You could absorb Chaos Energy, but what about something _beyond_ that? Something _beyond_ comprehension?"

"_I could absorb Chaos Energy, yes. But something beyond, no._" Metal had already formed the top part of its body, and the lower part was still repairing itself. He released this information because he called Shadow's bluff.

_I didn't think he'd tell me. Good._ Shadow smirked before the Chaos Emeralds shone brightly. "**Double.**.." the Ultimate Life Form had a fiery red aura around him, and all six Chaos Emeralds hovered brightly near him. Metal noticed the amount of power Shadow had created, but had no distinctive attack pattern or sort. The robotic hedgehog took no hesitation in slamming its fist into Shadow's head in a blink of an eye. All that power the Ultimate Life Form had gathered was gone in a flick of a wrist. "Heh, damn..."

Metal was still repairing its legs, but figthting with just the upper part was okay with it. Shadow dodged the incoming attacks, which were just normal-paced jabs. But when it started going faster, Shadow felt his body move on its own. He was dodging it easily without thinking about it. He really was the Ultimate Life Form. The pattern of attacks were easy to predict, and his body had no problem keeping up with such speed and attack pattern. He didn't even get tired. It was just a flurry of punches and jabs at his head and torso, nothing special.

_Just now, I've almost amplified Chaos Energy. It was a pain in the ass to charge, but it was even more painful to create it. If I sustained that form, it would be the death of me. But Faker said I was immortal. Yes, I knew, but then a strange blue light came out of me when he said it. What was that about?_ Shadow thought as his body kept moving at a supersonic rate. He didn't know he _could_ so this, but it was nice to learn things everyday. Shadow decided to twist the pattern and grab a hold of Metal's arm, literally twisting it.

Sparks of electricity flew out of the arm socket, and Metal was weakening. Weakening. Had it used up all its Chaos Energy, its solar charges and its '_Infinite_ Power Core'? Well, that had been an overstatement. Metal was running on solar rays, and when he was above the earth for miles, it was gaining more power. But its Chaos Energy fuel was getting depleted. That fast?

/ Severe Drainage Of Chaos Energy Found /

/ Source Of Drainage: /

/ ... /

/ Shadow the Hedgehog : The Ultimate Life Form /

"What's wrong? Figuring out what _I_ had done?" Shadow asked, gaining the attention of the metallic hedgehog. The Ultimate Life Form had absorbed back his output of Chaos Energy, and he felt the joy of winning. What Metal did next, somewhat surpriseed him.

"No matter." Metal responded, and Shadow felt something tug his arm. "I'll just take it back."

Shadow pried his arm off Metal's, spun around, and did a backward roundhouse kick, slamming his heel into the robot's head. Metal was even with him now, having the same amount of Chaos Energy. Three tiers to be exact. Metal had his solar rays, while Shadow had the Chaos Emeralds. _That blue glow must've been my immortality showing. Was it because Sonic really _is_ a god and it showed itself on command? Or was it because it was wearing off and it showed a sign of near-death? _Shadow's thoughts were using absurd statements or theories, but he wanted to figure out what that blue thing was. He remembered a bit, like he felt a pull from _inside_ of him when it showed.

Was it really his immortality?

Shadow caught Metal's incoming fist, pulling it to the right side and kicking him with his left leg. Metal's head turned from the impact, but slowly brought it back to its original position after awhile. Shadow boosted himself in the air, bringing his knee up into its chin. There wasn't that much damage. Metal's head pushed back, flipping Shadow head over heels, and kicking him in the back. Shadow rebounded in the air and used Chaos Control, zipping past Metal and backhanding it from behind. Metal spun before the attack hit and blocked the attack. Its hands shifted position, took Shadow's arms, and threw him in the other direction. Shadow twirled in the air from the throw, stopping when he was a few hundred feet from him.

The ebony hedgehog charged again, crashing head-on into Metal, and bringing the two back on land. Smashing the ground, Metal took the brunt of the impact, while Shadow leapt from the crater, unharmed. Metal got up, but was struck in the very last moment. Shadow's Chaos Control movement brought him closer to the robotic hedgehog, sending a shattering side kick. Metal retaliated, shooting a left hook into Shadow's gut, propelling him away. Shadow heaved, watching as Metal stepped out of the crater. A blur took both by surprise, knocking the wind out of one of them.

A red blur.

Knuckles rammed it down, putting a strenuous amount of effort pushing Metal away. The attack lasted a few hundred feet, before Metal backhanded him. Knuckles blocked and shot a straight uppercut into Metal's gut. It lifted him off, showing Knuckles' strength and willpower. He was the guardian of the Master Emerald, this'll prove that he isn't just a side character! He slammed its face into the ground, running while doing it. It grazed the earth, leaving a trail of broken dirt in its path. He lifted him off the ground, seeing the fractured face of the machine, before hurling it into a mountain. There, he leapt and double stomped sideways, causing a giant crater into the side of the mountain. Knuckles flipped off, landing gracefully as he did.

"Hmph, nice entrance." Shadow mocked.

"Thanks." Knuckles replied, totally oblivious to his sarcasm. The hedgehog sighed before peering over at the mountain.

"It's not dead, you know." he informed. Knuckles spun on his heels, staring in awe as Metal got out of the mountain, somehow looking pissed. The crackling electricity in the side of its head brought a dramatic effect, as it glitched a bit, before setting its head back. Shadow teleported beside Knuckles, asking, "Can you hold him off?"

"Of course I can!" the echidna replied, putting on a stance. "Didn't you see me in action just now?"

"Right. Here's a tip: Metal could absorb Chaos Energy, so don't use the Chaos Emeralds." the Ultimate Life Form warned, before telling him what to do, "You hold him off for a minute, so I can gather power to destroy that thing. When that happens, you move away and get Faker and Tails to safety."

"What made _you_ leader?" Knuckles asked, but got a glare as a reply.

"You think _you_ have enough power obliterating that thing?" Shadow asked, and got a nod as a reply. He sighed inwardly and gestured him to go forward. "Knock yourself out."

Knuckels charged at the mechanical hedgehog, while Metal charged at the red echidna. Both crashed into each other, and landed on the ground. There, they brawled to their fullest. Knuckles rammed his fists repeatedly into Metal's head, while the robotic hedgehog sent half-assed punches and kicks. Knuckles had the upper hand during it, pushing the machine backwards and continuing assault into the mountain. Metal's armor was pierced through, and little scraps of metal flew out, before crawling back to its feet. The mountain cracked, but Knuckles still sent devastating impacts in it.

Metal's visor beeped, haulting Knuckles' actions for a bit, and the echidna felt a chill run down his spine when he heard the robotic voice. "_Scans acquired. Now processing attack formation._"

Next thing Knuckles' knew, Metal had come from the dead and smashed its broken hand into Knuckles' face, scraping some skin off his muzzle. Knuckles flung his head back and delivered a head-butt, but immediately bounced back when he felt his head in pain. Metal had his other fist outstretched, punching Knuckles on the forehead before he knew it. The echidna backflipped, getting himself out of the mountain. Metal came forth, shooting out like a missile. The robotic hedgehog ran over the echidna, knocking him into the dirt. Knuckles jumped back, landing on his feet, before looking out to where Metal was.

"_Looking for me?_" a voice said from behind. Cold and chilly. Knuckles turned his head, only to get kicked in the face by Metal. Knuckles recovered quickly, rocketing his namesakes into Metal's jaw.

"Yeah! What about it?" Knuckles retorted, kicking it away. Metal's feet broke through the land, stopping him from going any further. That is, until Knuckles shot a flurry of attacks in his way. Shadow watched from a distance, regaining his energy to perform a dastardly attack, which might kill him. He had to destroy all pieces of Metal, but with the fight going all over the place, he might miss some of them. A red-white glow formed around Shadow, hissing with power. The six Chaos Emeralds didn't glow. Yet. Shadow was saving them for another time.

"**DOUBLE..**."

/ WARNING: HIGHER FORM OF ENERGY DETECTED /

/ WARNING: HIGHER FORM OF CHAOS ENERGY DETECTED /

/ WARNING: CHAOS ENERGY DETECTED HAS DOUBLED /

Knuckles jammed his namesakes into Metal's visor, breaking off pieces of scrap metal. Metal Sonic grabbed Knuckles' head, before bringing its into his, sending a violent head-butt. Knuckles fell back, and Metal charged a kick, summoning solar energy into its leg. When it thought it was enough, it released, sending a powerful kick in the echidna's direction. Knuckles got knocked the hell out of the way.

Metal turned its focus on Shadow, who was brimming with unforeseen power. What haunted the Ultimate Life Form was that it wasn't all of it. No, he still had more, but if he released it, or if he even _created_ it, it would destroy the whole land with a gigantic explosion. He didn't want to do that yet with Faker and Tails in the way. Metal charged the red-white hedgehog, landing a fist into his cheek. Shadow didn't budge, and instead glared at him with his deadly eyes. His red irises turned... redder. Much more threatening than before. "Thanks, Knuckles." he muttered before he struck the metallic hedgehog.

* * *

><p>Knuckles got up from the attack, finding himself a good hundred miles away from the action. He contemplated at the power Shadow was giving off, before shaking his head. That power had affected him, a <em>hundred<em> miles away. The echidna got up, clutching the yellow Chaos Emerald, before teleporting.

It wasn't Chaos Control.

* * *

><p>Knuckles ended up a few feet from Sonic and Tails, yelping at the gruesome scene. He needed to get them some medical attention, but first, he headed looked over to Shadow. The hedgehog's black fur had been replaced with red, while his red fur had been replaced with white. A dazzling red and white aura sparkled around him. Red glow shimmered brightly around him, while white electricity-like tendrils kept travelling around him. The Ultimate Life Form had achieved power beyond Chaos Control. A feat admirable, but something he didn't want. It was burning off every part of his body.<p>

"Knuckles!" Shadow called, cooling himself off as he did. Every second counted, and he had to make it quick. He was going to vaporise all of his atoms if this goes on for too long. And he _still_ hasn't tapped into the full power of Double Chaos Control. He was _repressing_ it. "Get Tails up and get the two of them outta here!"

"_Tails_? Why Tails and not Sonic?" Knuckles asked, backing away from Shadow. He was far enough, but the power radiating from him was so insane it still affected everything from miles away. If this wasn't the full form of Shadow's technique, then what will _maximum_ Double Chaos Control do?

"He'll rebel!" Shadow replied with a shout and blasted off into Metal's direction.

Knuckles acknowledged that, and ran over to Tails and placed the yellow Chaos Emerald beside him. He channeled the positive energy into Tails, seeping into his wounds and injuries before getting him up to full health. The fox woke up in a snap, shooting both his hands out into the sky and blasting a wave of Chaos Energy into the air. Knuckles backed away, startled.

"What was _that_ for?!" Knuckles demanded, offended that he did that. _I healed him, and then he attacks me?_

"Sorry, Knuckles, I can't risk having Chaos Energy in my body." Tails replied, before looking over at Sonic. There was a pool of blood surrounding him, and he was turning pale. He gasped, before running over to him. "Quick! Help him!"

Knuckles shook his head. "If I wake him, he'll stop Shadow from doing what he's doing."

Tails peered over to Shadow, who's aura was exploding rapidly. Metal had been held in one place, getting crushed by Shadow's giant ball of red-white power. It was like Shadow was in a giant hamster ball, capable of destroying the land they're on. "Then just heal him without waking him up!" Tails exclaimed like it was the most obvious thing to do. Knuckles placed the yellow emerald on Sonic's chest, before snapping his left leg into place, and started the healing thing.

"We need to get outta here, fast." Knuckles told the fox, whilst healing the hedgehog. "I think Shadow's going to burst any second now."

When Sonic had been healed, Tails carried Sonic bridal-style. He felt agitated when Knuckles told him to do it. Knuckles pulled Tails into a run, and Shadow noticed. The red-white hedgehog crushed Metal in his hand, but the robotic hedgehog kept reforming to his dismay. Tails didn't know what to feel. It's always been Sonic pulling him out of trouble. He's gotten used to saving him, instead of himself lately. But putting it more into thought, how did he feel when he was pulling Sonic away from danger? He felt proud, knowing it was him that did it instead.

Shadow's aura kept blazing, getting more and more bigger, engulfing Metal, the sky, and everything that's in proximity. Knuckles stopped for a moment, and Tails followed, waiting for orders. Knuckles held the yellow Chaos Emerald in his hand, ready to use Chaos Control. They watched as the aura of Shadow's Double Chaos Control became redder and whiter, like becoming whole.

"Knuckles! Tails! Get _out_!" Shadow commanded, his body burning red and white. "**DOUBLE CHAOS CONTROL!**" he yelled, releasing power with each syllable of the words. The golden bracelets around Shadow's wrists shattered, unable to contain this amount of energy. The blue glow of his immortality shimmered, glowing around him as his appearance grew red-white.

Knuckles grabbed Tails and they teleported, to a plateau several hundred miles away. The red-white explosion had completely lit the sky. The giant ball of death grew in size as well. It surely obliterated Metal, some of its pieces, and some land. It lasted for a few minutes, burning off Shadow's body. He knew this would happen. He already chose. He knew what was coming. Knuckles felt regret that he let Shadow do this. Tails didn't know what was happening, but the echidna scowled at the explosion.

"Is that... Chaos Blast?" Tails asked, noting the round explosion in the distance.

"No, something _more_ deadlier." Knuckles replied.

"That's... That's true Chaos Control!" Sonic stated, watching in shock as the red-white semicircle lit the sky. The fox and the echidna's eyes widened at the sight of Sonic.

* * *

><p>White.<p>

That's all the Ultimate Life Form could see.

_Where am I? _Were his thoughts. _Am I... dead?_

"Shadow..."

_That voice..._ Shadow spun in his heels and saw a girl with golden hair and blue clothing. "Ma-Maria?" he stuttered, unable to believe what he saw. The girl just smiled, a response to getting her name right. "Maria!" Then, he did something that sealed his fate.

He ran over to her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Holy crap! 5.1k words! This is the _longest_ chapter I have ever written. (So far, the average is about 3k words.)**

** My idea of the Double Chaos Control came from somewhere. This thing was supposed to warp realities from my plannings, but I thought it would go too far if I wrote it in source code or those zeros and ones. It was _supposed_ to make it seem like Shadow was breaking reality, or at least coming out of that reality and into this. But then I scrapped the idea because it was 'too hard' to make something from text close to being 'real'.**

**For any Shadow fan: Don't worry, Shadow should get an appearance later in the story, dead or not. I have plans for him, even though I just killed him off.**

**Plot hole: if they're on Mobius, how is Shadow there? Well... Let's just say Mobius and Earth are just separate halves of the world. Neither halve interact with each other because they are in different... uh, realities. Wait... I don't know anything about Mobius... should I change it back to Earth or what?**

**I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOIN'!**


	10. Chaos Rebellion

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Short chapter, I know, but it's a break from the _last_ chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

_**Chaos Rebellion**_

Sonic woke up.

_Everything, what the heck was that?_

Hearing no response from Helios, he got out of bed. Sweat rolled down his forehead. Was that a nightmare? All of it? Tails' power, Helios, the sacrifice, the authority of higher gods, the Dark Super form, Metal Sonic's comeback, Shadow's sacrifice. Was it all a dream? He looked around the room. Nothing had changed. He peered out of the window and saw the sun rise.

_Everything that I've just been through recently... was it just a dream?_

He cupped his head in frustration. All that pressure, all the chills he felt, all that wasted experience, from a dream? Or maybe _this_ was the dream. He did the only cliché thing to do: hit himself. The blue hedgehog slapped himself in the face, and felt the stinging sensation. _This_ was real. But the dream felt _so_ real. The higher gods... he warped through realms _and_ reality. Could _this_ be the problem?

_Or are the gods messing with me? _Sonic asked inwardly, walking out of his room. _If the gods are messing with me, why let me end up here? _Sonic stopped to think about it. _If there _are_ gods, they're most likely laughing at me right now.  
><em>

He walked down the stairs, noting the severe silence. Tails wasn't up yet, because if he was, there would be a large ruckus. His 'workshop', or garage, was open. The tidy place was still intact. Sonic couldn't spot a difference. The hedgehog roamed around silently, trying to find clues if he was just dreaming about that or not. He saw the fridge, and checked the notes on it. One was ideas for new inventions, and the other was about him going on a run. Desperate and can't find a sense of reality, Sonic inched forward and took the note in his hand.

"These are fairly new." he muttered as he felt the paper. "Either that, or... I've just lost my sense of touch." He looked around. _Nothing's changed. Does this mean?_

_That none of it..._

_...ever..._

_...happened?_

_Hehe_he_heheh._

* * *

><p>Shadow looked around the place. It seemed fitting enough. He didn't know why he went to heaven instead of hell. Was it because of Maria? The hedgehog walked around, following the trail of the girl dressed in blue. <em>Doesn't she have anything else to wear, other than blue?<em> Shadow thought. _It reminds me of that other hedgehog I met the other day. I think I'm color-blind now._

In the white city, Maria looked over to him. "Don't worry about losing, Shadow. That guy was one of the gods, after all. He even looks like that other hedgehog you became rivals with."

Shadow's head perked up when he heard this. "You were watching me?"

"Of course. I'd be with you till the end, and I meant it." she replied, hopping on her shoes. Shadow bewilderedly stared at her, before retaining the smile he had.

"I'm sorry." he began, looking down. His smile faded, which caused her to stop. "I didn't... save Earth like you told me to." _And I didn't save you._

"Well, you sacrificed yourself to defeat something that will destroy Earth, didn't you? Besides, you stopped that Metal-" she giggled, "-_Faker_, which was going to make a world full of robots. You saved Earth, Shadow. There's nothing to fear."

"How did I get here anyway? Shouldn't I be, you know, down there?"

Maria looked at him head-to-toe, before responding. "Your soul isn't _that_ tainted. You saved the world multiple times already to be considered good." She spun in her heels, skipping forwards. "Now, come on, grandpa Gerald is waiting for us!"

Shadow looked around the place, seeing a white city on one of the few worlds there. There were giant poles that connected each world together in this realm. High buildings and low buildings, all painted white, and a good civilization too. It was, after all, heaven. Good people come here. He wondered a bit about hell, before his mind lingered at the bright view. He smiled before following after her. "_Hey_! Wait for me!"

* * *

><p>Tails had been scouting the place. He swore he felt a god's presence. A god in which he knew most. After half an hour, he gave up the search. Tails flew to the plateau, resting his namesakes. The fox was just sitting idly by the edge of a mountain, staring at the skies. He couldn't shake off the feeling he felt. There should be a god or goddess somewhere. And this one felt familiar. Eerily familiar. Just when he was going to go away, he heard a tap close by. The kit turned, facing the light-blue god.<p>

"Nazo," Tails called, smirking. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Look, I'm not the messenger type, I'm much more of a fighter-overseer-guardian... and some more. You of all people here should know that." Nazo began, even though it was off-topic. Tails arched a brow, he didn't understand the formalities. "Okay, so this is what I've found from your 'Chaos Emeralds'. They're corrupted." Nazo was tempted to say, 'You know your big brother? He did that.' But he knew how Tails would react and wouldn't believe him. "Those seven Chaos Emeralds will scatter at some point. Let it. If you don't, you're in for a party-"

"And you're telling me this, why?" Tails interrupted.

"Because these things have powers beyond what you know. You wouldn't know what I saw." Nazo almost said 'remembered' instead of 'saw'. "Now, each year, one Chaos Emerald will evolve into something... I don't know, some kind of monster. When that happens, you and your group of friends will have to intercept them before they make any trouble. Sacrifices will be made, blah, blah, blah, this will start in two years. So be prepared three years from now."

Tails had his head bowed and his arms crossed. He opened his eyes and look at him. "Seems a bit far-fetched, but," he scratched his head, "For _some_ reason, everything you say actually happens. I didn't believe you when you told me you were a god. Now, it seems a _whole_ lot clearer."

Nazo was about to go off, when he remembered something. "Also, the Master Emerald will rise when all seven Chaos Emeralds are dispatched."

"You know, you sound like a military commander. Giving me missions and stuff like that." Tails remarked.

Nazo contemplated at this, before continuing what he said. Tails knew this was a normal occurrence. If this were anybody else he was talking to, they'd go crazy with him ignoring them most of the time. "When the Master Emerald rises, be careful. Its a _lot_ more powerful than the Chaos Emeralds. Probably like comparing a dinosaur to an ant. When those ants could already destroy whole cities in minutes, and that would only be for 'fun'." Nazo turned away, "Oh, I ran into 'Shadow' the other day."

"It's been two days after that day, and Sonic's been out for that long." Tails informed. "Hey, could you tell him that Rouge, Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, Cream and I said 'Hi'?"

Nazo grunted when he heard Sonic's name. It bothered him for some reason. "Yeah, I could, if I hadn't met him in the way I did. Last I remembered, he called me 'Faker'. You could say I showed _him_ who the 'faker' is."

"Uh... Yeah, he might've mistakened you for Sonic." Tails replied. He started to see the similarities between Nazo and Sonic. Both have emerald eyes, and are hedgehogs. But Nazo had longer quills, more and lighter fur, and it was spiked up. If anything, he looks like an older Sonic. Nazo just snorted in response, lighting up a bluish-white aurora, before completely vanishing. The kit sighed, "Well, Nazo _is_ the god of mystery, _and_ other things."

Tails stared at his surroundings before kicking the dirt away. The place of meeting was nearby a waterfall, and on top of a mountain, with a jungle surrounding. He spun on his heels and started to walk away. He stopped in his tracks as his ears perked up. The kit turned to see the air imploding on itself and electricity crackling around it. The clouds formed from above, and light flashed in them.

"Wait, when this occured, Nazo would just appear-" Tails' eyes widened, as he realized what was happening. _Crap! I told Nazo to tell him the group and I said '_Hi_', so what the heck is he doing bringing him here!?_ He saw a black-red blur and a light-blue blur heading straight for the ground, as lightning flashed and thunder boomed._  
><em>

* * *

><p>Rouge stepped into the shadows, investigating the metal walls. They had scratches on them, and screech marks written all over it. The only one that could've done this was Sonic, since Shadow was with her most of the time. <em>I'm using my time off finding more about Eggman's base. Well, this better be worth it. And I think it is. <em>She thought as she placed her hand across the walls. "_Someone_ did something to him."

The whole giant base of operations was all torn to shreds, save for the main room Eggman was in. It was all _rammed_ into a mountain, and it was now some part-cave. Rouge decided to investigate on Metal Sonic's master, since that event threw her off. Her partner is dead and it's all because of some stupid lab robot made by the scientist who claims to be the grandson of Shadow the Hedgehog's creator. Is that guy really Gerald Robotnik's grandson, because he just killed off the _Ultimate_ Life Form.

The project that his grandfather worked for years on end to make. Did Eggman just not _care_ or something? She followed the trail of shredded metal into the cave. Somehow, she could feel despair. Loss of hope. What was _that_ about? There was a black aura forming around the place. _Did Eggman strike a deal with Black Doom? Wait, this black aura... _She remembered. _Sonic _had_ that. He was in that Dark form and he was oozing despair. I felt that when I saw him there. Did he come here before he came to us?_

She walked along the dented hallways, finding pieces of metal all crushed by something a week ago. It was all crushed again by her boots. Taking each step with precaution, she found a room that took her interest. It had the sign that said 'Chaos Emerald', and the door had been ripped open. Inside, one light source was hanging by the ceiling, before snapping off into a broken glass case.

_Didn't we have all... seven... Chaos Emeralds?_ She put the pieces together. _This was before Sonic came back, because then we had only _four_ Chaos Emeralds. All this looked recent, and the last three Chaos Emeralds were brought back by Sonic! This means... Sonic... did all this._

She walked away, looking for another room. She found the main room in no time and opened the door.

In there, she could see a man all cuddled up in the corner, rocking himself.

"Eggman?" she asked in surprise, seeing that the whole room was in a mess. The old doctor was muttering to himself, before regarding her.

"It's okay. Sonic doesn't _kill_..."

* * *

><p>Knuckles paced around the Master Emerald, panicking.<p>

"Okay, so _you're_ saying I should _leave _my job."

"Yes, Knuckles."

"All because the Master Emerald is tainted and the Chaos Emeralds are the same?"

"In three years, yes. But the Chaos Emeralds will scatter in two."

Knuckles eyed her suspiciously. "And you want to help '_train_' me?"

"I'm a pacifist, Knuckles. You heard me wrong. I'm saying someone _else_ will train you."

"Tikal, all this just doesn't make sense. Why _now_? Why the Master Emerald?"

The other echidna in the shrine looked away with distant eyes. "There had been a... dispute."

"Dispute?"

"Too much negative energy. There was something drawing off its power a while ago. And it used a lot of negative energy. Enough to travel through realms. When that happened, negative energy spread like wildfire, and it corrupted the Master _and_ Chaos Emeralds." she explained.

The guardian of the Master Emerald could only growl. "What _did_ this?"

Tikal showed no emotion, as she gave the answer.

"Sonic the Hedgehog."

* * *

><p>Sonic had just finished making a chili dog, preparing to eat it. The hedgehog's lips smacked as his tongue licked his lips, staring at the juicy delight. His mouth watered as he was about to gobble it up. Inches away from his face, the door slammed opened. Sonic's eyes darted to the intruder, who stared disgustingly at the hedgehog for his actions. Tails had his brow arched and mouth agape, in an incredulous manner. The kit's face was tainted with charcoal-like dust, and the three strands of his fur were standing up. Heck, his whole body was smoking like he had been shot by a lightning bolt.<p>

"Tails... What happened?" the blue blur asked, as the chili dog slipped out of his hand. _Aw, my food!_

"What were you doing with the _chili dog_?" Tails retorted, pointing at Sonic accusingly.

Sonic looked over to his hand, which was covered in grease and oil, from holding the chili dog. He looked away from it and found the fallen chili dog. He held back a sniff, knowing he will never get to taste the deliciousness of that one chili dog. The poor thing had fallen head first into the ground, the sauce spilling all over the floor. "Oh, uh, nothing." Sonic responded calmly, using his other arm to lean himself over to the table, trying to look casual.

"So you weren't planning to eat that?" Tails asked, head tilting a bit. His finger pointed at the chili dog, which Sonic picked up. The fox then went to his room, wanting to take a shower.

Tails walked up the stairs, his tails trailing. Sonic noticed that they were all shot out and spikey, just like the strands of his hair. And it was _smoking_. _Did he seriously just got struck by a lightning bolt?_

_'Yes.'_

_Wazahfa-?! _Sonic shrieked in his mind. _You're still here?_

_'Why wouldn't I be? Didn't you hear that evil laughter just awhile ago?'_

_I thought that was me!_

_'It wasn't.'_

_Wait a minute... if _you're_ here, that means-_

_'Yes. It happened. All of it.'_

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><p><strong>AN: So, yeah, Shadow got in this chapter. Needed to show the afterlife or something. I didn't need that here, why is it here?!**

**EDIT: So, yeah, I finished the next chapter. It'll be pretty _boring_.**

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><p><strong>Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald's negative energy buildup thing:<strong>

**Well, first of all, everything that has happened and will happen next is Sonic's fault. (Also somewhat Tails' fault, but Sonic takes more of the blame.) He's the one that triggered it the first place. He went Dark Super Sonic, summoned _negative_ Chaos Energy, and 'tired out'. If he 'tired out', that's a sign he summoned a _lot_ of negative Chaos Energy. Like, a freaking planet's worth of negative energy. What could it do? Travel through realms (From the sacrifice pit back to Earth/Mobius!), roam around the world for three Chaos Emeralds, spread the negative influence, and put up a fight with Tails. You could see how much of that negative energy was spent.**

**This leads to the 'Chaos Emerald' saga. Am I being derivative? Yes, maybe so...**


	11. Preparations for the Worst

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong>AN: So, this chapter contains info about gods and stuff. Made up ones. By me. So, better prepare your sanity because I'm pretty sure you'll have no idea what Sonic or Tails are talking about. (Neither do I, this whole 'gods' thingy is still in the planning stages. It isn't going to play that much of a major role till the... Next Saga?)**

**Frickin' _boring_.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé<span>**

**_Preparations for the Worst_**

"Okay, Sonic, I'll have to tell you about the gods and all that stuff."

The blue hedgehog peered over to the fox, with his glasses on. "Oh, that?" he began, "I know that stuff. And I think you know where this sacrifice pit is, don't you?"

Tails gulped at this. Sonic knew? If he did, he most likely knew all about the gods and stuff. And why was he wearing those glasses? "You're... still farsighted?"

"Don't say that! It makes me feel old!" Sonic chided. Tails felt his lips curved into a smirk. Nobody knew this, but Sonic sometimes wore glasses because he had a small problem with his sight. Tails checked him, and gave him these glasses. His eyes should be adjusted by those glasses, and he's still wearing them? "Besides, that trip from the 'sacrifice pit' made me woozy. And you know how much wooziness it takes for me to be woozy."

"Your eyes don't just get damaged from wooziness, Sonic. That trip from the _sacrementom_ also won't damage them. Neither would travelling through realms. I've tried." Tails informed, while Sonic's ears perked up.

"Sacrementom?" the hedgehog asked.

"The real name of the 'sacrifice pit'." Tails rolled his eyes. "I thought you knew. Besides, it's easy to find out what I'm talking about and fake your way through it."

"Geez, Tails, you know I don't listen that much to others." Sonic said, before trying to make things clear. "Okay, so there are over ten gods, each with their own unique abilities and personalities. Some more minor gods, some more demigods, and more stuff. There's gods for hell, heaven, living and space and lots more. I think I met two of them."

"Well, you're lucky. All I got was meet one." Tails stated. Sonic scratched his head, before speaking.

"You knew Big the Cat is a god?" Sonic asked. Tails arched a brow at that.

"Really? That means I've met two." Tails replied. "Big and Nazo. Nazo's one of the minor gods! The god of mystery, and some other stuff. What's Big's status?"

"Big is a minor... the god of fishing, luck and obesity. Threatened to turn _me_ into a fat hedgehog." Sonic said, "I found this weird thing among the gods. Some minor gods are scared of me, and they even try to look tough around me. I've heard a few of the minor gods talk, and they think I'm one of the ten. Weird, right?"

Tails searched through his memories, studies of the gods from Nazo's book, and to his dismay, he found something. "Well, there _is_ one hedgehog that's a god in the big ten. He's the god of despair. Sometimes, he dies down and other times he grows big. And to Nazo's experience, he says he knows him personally."

"So, you get to know him more?"

"Just a dark hedgehog, with a black aura of despair, much like you when you did... that..." Tails trailed away.

_'So... How's it going?' _Helios asked.

_Terrible. _Sonic replied inwardly. "Ahem," he coughed deliberately, "So, what happened during your stay in the divine realm?"

"Didn't know you'd get _that_ right. But all I did was get training from Nazo. Then, he's been acting as a sort of guardian." the fox stated, as if that was nothing. "What about you?"

"Went on trial. The sacrifice-y things and all that stuff." Sonic didn't want to get into much detail. "I had two gods to back me up. One was Big, and the other was... Helios. God of the sun, or something."

"He's one of the big ten!" Tails smiled excitedly.

_Wait, really?_

_'Why, it flatters me that your little brother knows. Unlike _some_ people.'_

_Oh, give me a break. What are you gonna do? Disintegrate me?_

_'I have the switch _right_ here, big guy.'_

"So, I guess I underestimated that Helios guy. I thought he was a minor god, since he stepped up for me." Sonic explained.

"Dude! Helios must be the reason why they let you... go... Wait, didn't you say you _escaped_ sacrifice?" Tails then had a frown on his face. "Sonic, did you-"

"The trial wasn't really about letting me go, Tails. It was about letting me sacrifice." the hedgehog stated, pulling out his glasses and rubbing them.

Tails had no more to talk about, except for the upcoming event. "Well, something happened to the Emeralds..."

_Oh, _no_... _Sonic thought.

_'Oh, goodie.'_

* * *

><p>In the first year, Knuckles meditated. He enhanced his spirit at his utmost limits, and he was going to do more. Trying to cleanse the Master Emerald was... impossible. Knuckles tried day and night, not even meeting up with the others, trying to find a way to get the Master Emerald in better shape.<p>

With him, two companions that excaped the Master Emerald. Tikal and Chaos. The two were peaceful, watching Knuckles' expedition through the Master Emerald, which was entertaining to see. As much as Tikal didn't like violence, she couldn't find any other way, but wait. Knuckles had to be prepared for this, or else, the end will come. Chaos helped train the echidna in fighting, something Tikal looked the other way from.

Divine beings wouldn't dare touch on the topic of the Emeralds, it was a secret they've kept that they wouldn't open up. Only few, such as Big, Nazo and Helios, were brave enough to see the topic of the Emeralds. Big was curious, Nazo was bored, and Helios was on a mission that no one knew.

* * *

><p>In the first year, Rouge had a visit to the hospital. She didn't know why she even bothered to get there. She put Eggman in there to help him. And she was going to go away, until Eggman gave her a some intel. With the small USB in her hand, containing all of Eggman's files, she didn't know what to do with it.<p>

But she went back to the scientist's lab to check it out. Finding the giant computer he used, she inserted the USB into the computer, and it turned on automatically. She could've used it in her computer, but what if it had a nasty virus? Better to be safe than sorry, right?

What she found was more better than she thought. Files of the Ultimate Life Form, Metal Sonic's advanced blueprints (in the scale of _nanometers_.), some video footage of Sonic wrecking the place, and a recent one that she would say be the time 'Dark' Sonic came about. It showed him wrecking the place, gaining the white Chaos Emerald, and then haunting Robotnik for years to come.

The files were impressive, almost akin to Tails' standard intellect. After all, both had an IQ of 300. She took the USB and looked for the _other_ Ultimate Life Forms, and Eggman's other bases.

* * *

><p>In the first year, Amy hadn't been seen for a while, much to Sonic's confusion. It was weird not having to see her for the whole year, and it was mysterious. She disappeared in a blink of an eye. Where did she go? She came back, looking older, but there was a change. Her piko-piko hammer had suddenly become worse, and she wore a golden necklace. Her outfit changed, resembling a peaceful magician's.<p>

It weirded him out when he saw her like this. Her eyes blazed with determination, and he was scared.

Scared _stiff_.

Tails was worried about her as well. He told Sonic about the upcoming threat, but he didn't tell Amy. How did she know when to prepare? It was like _magic_.

* * *

><p>In the first year, Sonic and Tails have been training. Sonic had trouble keeping up with Tails this time. The fox had surpassed- No, <em>outclassed<em> would be a better word for it, the hedgehog, and it was always Sonic that would be the one in the dirt. From Tails, he found out that travelling speed didn't matter in a fight, unless your combat speed is the same.

Reaction time had to be the worst.

Sonic would need an alarm. Helios would be that, but he wanted to be independent. Tails had thrown every attack he learned from Nazo, and some other moves. Sonic had surprised him with his strength, because all he boasted about was speed. Tails had to be careful about taking hits from Sonic now and then.

* * *

><p>The next two years have been the same thing. Preparation.<p>

The Chaos Emeralds have scattered yet again.

And they would start.

* * *

><p>"Tikal, how powerful are they to make you worry that three years of training wouldn't be enough?" Knuckles asked, cracking his namesakes. The other echidna could only frown.<p>

"They're dangerously strong, still more powerful than you." she remarked.

"Oh, come on! One Chaos Emerald is _that_ tough?" Knuckles asked. Chaos looked away, unable to find a solution. "All these years of training-"

"Would only last you a couple more seconds." Tikal finished, surprising him. She walked around the Master Emerald shrine, before placing her hand on one of the arches. "They're too powerful, Knuckles. But, the Master Emerald is even more. Thousands of times more powerful than one Chaos Emerald. I could only prolong its sleep."

And she vanished.

Knuckles eyes widned with shock. _Where'd she go? _He looked around for Chaos, his past year trainer, and only found him to be gone as well. He stared off into the sky, unable to show his frustration to anyone. _Just hope _Sonic_ doesn't screw things up even more._

* * *

><p>Tails, the 'now' twelve year-old fox, was sitting in a disassembled Tornado, looking at his schematics. He had a screwdriver in one hand and one of his black 'gauntlets' in the other. He grew in those three years, and his physical changes made him much more better in battle. Much more faster, stronger and more endurable. He grew taller and was more fit, after training with Sonic three years straight. The fox had his peace, until Sonic came about and greeted him. "Yo! Tails! Whatcha doin'?"<p>

Tails glanced at him. He was wearing his trademark sneakers and white gloves. The hedgehog was still the same old Sonic, except he was a bit taller. The fox looked back at his gauntlet and replied, "Just tryin' 'ta upgrade this thing."

"Oh... Well, you do that. I'm just gonna..." He zipped away, bringing peace back in Tails' workshop. The fox snorted and continued working on his gauntlets.

* * *

><p>Amy got out of her room, which was in Tails' house. Ever since two years ago, she's been practically living in the house, so Tails made an official room for her. Sonic was avoiding her from time to time, until he gor used to her presence. She barely ever talked to them, which got Sonic thinking. Tails didn't seem bothered, because 'She's a girl, she might have some kind of girl thing'. Sonic didn't take that joke very well.<p>

And he somehow fared better against Tails the day he said that.

The pink hedgehog made her way to the kitchen, getting herself a glass of water, while Sonic zoomed into the living room and plopped himself onto the couch. "Hey, Ames," he greeted, "How's sleep?"

"Huh?" she raised a brow, before doing her hair. "What do you mean?"

He sighed as he put his arms behind his back, like a makeshift cushion for himself, and looked at her way. "Ames, it's noon and you still look like you just woke up."

"Maybe it's cause I _did_." she replied coldly, before walking back up the stairs.

_Gee, never thought I'd want the cheerful Amy back. This one acts like a zombie. She may not pester me, but the new__ Amy seems kinda off. I mean, she wouldn't walk around the house of two boys in her _robes_. _Sonic thought as he laid his eyes on the telly.

_'She's used to it. You're used to it. Tails doesn't care. What's the problem? I've never met the girl before, until now, so I guess _I'm_ used to this as well.' _Helios responded.

_Well, too bad-_

"_Attention! Attention! We bring you live news about a creature flying in the air, causing disturbances. Witnesses say this creature looked like Sonic the Hedgehog. But according to our photos, this is not the case._" The screen showed a blue creature, flying in the sky. It had blue garbs, and its skin was all teal. It had azure eyes, and dark-blue hair that was made into a ponytail. "_As of now, this creature has been terrorizing Station Square, asking for Mobius' hero, Sonic the Hedgehog._"

"Huh? But, I don't sense it." Sonic contemplated. When the television turned off, Sonic was already on his feet. "So, you want me? You got me."

* * *

><p>Sonic appeared in Station Square, thanks to his superior speed. He got there in a minute, breaking his personal record. (And it would've broken the world record, if he had <em>told<em> the guys who make the official world records.) The teal creature had sensed the hedgehog's presence, and turned to meet him. Swishing in the air, Sonic stared at it for a second, blinking. "Well, you like the air. Who are you?"

"I'm Sarah." she replied.

"Wait, you're... a girl?" Sonic asked. As of then he started to see the features of a girl. _Long eyelashes, curvy body, small nose, a ponytail, sexy figure... _Sonic stopped for a moment, before regaining his composure. _Where did _that_ come from?_

_'Your _hormones_.'_ Helios answered flatly, with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"What's wrong? Afraid to hit a woman?" she taunted.

Sonic cracked his neck, smirking. "Let's see about that." he shot back as he warmed-up, bending each of his legs repeatedly. A faint red aura surrounded him, before he vanished from the Chaos Emerald's sight.

"Too easy." the blue creature smirked, tilting her head.

* * *

><p>Shadow watched as a bead of sweat rolled down his head. "It's starting."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Did I _really_ just summarized what happened in three years? **

**That was _lame_. **

**I mean it was eventful, but I didn't want to get into it for some reason. Maybe because it wasn't the main plot to see the three years? I don't know, I feel the following years would be much more eventful.**

**ALL THESE TIMESKIPS. SO MUCH.**

**The writing's gotten worse in my opinion. I'll make the next chapter... better? I guess...**

**I'm dying from the names I've created. lol**


	12. Determination of the Strong

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong>AN: New title arrangement. Isn't that nice?**

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><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 12<span>**

**_Determination of the Strong_**

* * *

><p>The blue Chaos Emerald, named Sarah, watched her surroundings. There was a lot going on, the wind shifted, the air picked up, all the while the city was silent. The hedgehog must be around somewhere. Sarah smacked Sonic out of the air, shocking him with her speed. The hedgehog got back up, only to get hit by her boot. His head hit a lamppost, before falling into a fire hydrant. He rubbed his head before he zipped away, trying to lead her out of the city.<p>

"_Fleeing_? You better not." Sarah stated, before she flew out of the place.

_Yeah, right._ He thought, as he was already exceeded by the lady herself. His shoes screeched, and he turned, spinning. He was already out of the city, which was great, but something bothered him. They were in a jungle. Already that far? He spin kicked at her, but she dodged. The hedgehog got back onto the dirt, landing with his hands, before launching himself in the air again with his arm strength. This surprised Sarah as he dug his shoe into her gut. "Hah! Got you!"

She smirked, causing Sonic falter. "You're great. Not holding back. That's the spirit!" She took hold of his leg, before throwing him into a tree. She was still aloft, only a feet above the air, but it still annoyed Sonic how much she liked to stay in the air. His body snapped the thin tree, breaking it instead of him. What was left was the force of the impact that stung the blue blur. He held himself up, before getting a shout from the woman. "You know, most boys hold back against women because they fear them getting hurt."

"I'm not 'most boys'." Sonic responded, curling into a ball and revving up. He was gaining more momentum, while in place, as the dust backed away. He launched himself at her, knocking her back a few feet, while he rebounded. He turned his direction, and launched a spin attack again at her. This time, she was prepared. Only seeing it for a few moments, she got her arms out, catching the spinning ball. Sonic went for as long as he could, before he stopped and uncurled, falling out of her hands.

"Impressive. You gave me a scratch." she remarked, while looking at her palms. There were only superficial marks on them, but no blood.

"Tha-That's it!?" Sonic asked. _Dang, that's insanely powerful!_

_'Need my help?'_

_Not yet. I'm still good. _Sonic replied inwardly, before putting on a fight stance. He hoped the training with Tails would help him out in this battle, because she didn't seem tired. Only calm. There was a smile on her face, somewhat compelling and taunting. All three years and he has yet fought with an enemy at full-power. She had her arms at her side, open to any attack. If she wasn't hovering all over the place.

Sonic launched himself at her, doing a head-butt. She dodged to the right, but was kicked by the hedgehog. He had his leg outstretched and spun his way around, smashing his knee into her back. He grabbed her by the arm and threw her into the dirt. He landed with her, and dashed head-on. He landed another head-butt, striking her head as well. She tumbled backwards, before getting a grip on the earth and staying back up. Sonic dashed again, slamming his head against her. The force of impact sent her flying. She stopped midair, only to see the hedgehog dash upto her. Sonic feinted a slide, in which she struck the ground without forethought, shattering the dirt. The blue blur jumped and made a spin kick.

She caught the attack with her other arm. Sonic used his other leg to kick, but Sarah ducked before the attack hit her. She still had his leg in her grasp, and she flung him into a tree, breaking it in half. Still in her hand, she hurled him a few more trees. Sarah got up, hovering, while she had the hedgehog hanging upside down in her grasp. Sonic looked unconscious, enough to fool the Chaos Emerald. "Heh. For the one that made us who we are, you're pitiful." she remarked. Sonic's eyes widened as he shot his arn forward, delivering a blow into her stomach. She released, and he fell to the ground.

"Say what?" Sonic asked. _I made this? Whatever's happening to the Emeralds, is my doing? But... _The blue lady smirked at him, before making a statement that shattered him.

"You're stupid, I know. Your Dark form made a grand entrance and used most of the negative Chaos Energy. With enough negative energy expended, you created us. All seven, and tainted the Master Emerald." she explained, "I need to thank you for giving me life. And your death will be my show of gratitude. And with you out of the way, I could do whatever I want. Whatever _negative_ Chaos Energy would do."

_So, in a way, I created this disaster. And she is somewhat my daughter. _Sonic mused. _For a second there, she was looking... wait, was that why you were disgusted?_

_'Best not to think of it.' _Helios advised.

"Then I'll have to stop you!" Sonic exclaimed, making it up as he goes. "Your negative Chaos Energy will be defeated... somehow..." _Could you even _defeat_ energy?!_

_'Uh, in physics, no, I don't think so.' _Helios replied,_ 'But with the supernatural world, yes.'_

"This negative Chaos Energy is _yours_, Sonic the Hedgehog." she spat, spreading her arms. A dark aura filled the space, and the winds began to rise. "Your power is what kills you. You'll perish from your might. Isn't that ironic?"

"Uh, yeah." he replied, dashing upto her and feinting a kick. She tried to wave him off, but realized he wasn't actually kicking. The hedgehog spun in the air, twirling over her, until he landed his shoe into her back. She turned, sending a kick to his shoulder, and also sending him a hundred feet away. She flew over to him, watching as the trees fell over from his body. There he was, laying in a crater, while Sarah stayed in the air. Sonic got up, groggily, and clutched his shoulder.

There was a seeping pain that was sent throughout his body and nervous system. All originating from his left shoulder, which is also the most painful place of his body right now. The roaring fire of the blow broke something in there, and his mind was going nuts over this pain. It was, you could say, mind-numbingly painful. He tried to subside the pain by creating a new one, putting more force into his squeeze on his shoulder. He was trying to make another pain that could let him ignore the other, and it was doing well.

"Hah! You even made an illusion to make the pain not as bad." Sarah mocked, before crossing her arms. "You're _weak_! And this is coming from the girl you _lost_ fighting against!"

"You're no girl..." Sonic seethed, all the while glaring at her.

"Haha! That's _so_ cute! You're trying to act all brooding and tough! But that's not gonna cut it!" she scoffed, lowering herself to eye level with Sonic. She had that arrogant smirk on her face, one that showed excessive pride and success. Sonic gritted his teeth, before clenching a fist in his left hand. Sarah noted it and decided to comment. "I guess you're really are fast. Slower than I thought, but you heal remarkably well."

Sonic didn't heal though. He let go of his shoulder, showing the damage of her kick and his hold over it. His shoulder was pink and looking somewhat broken. He lifted his arm, listening to the cringing cracks of his bone moving around. In a hissy fit, he leapt after her and smashed his right fist into her face, and tried to use his left to jab her in the stomach, but it was easily countered. She had grappled his left fist and twisted it, forcing him to turn around with his left arm as hostage. She applied more pressure and Sonic screeched.

"Aw, did I break something?" Sarah taunted, holding him in place. Even worse, she was flying, and Sonic never had his feet back in the ground. The hold on his left arm caused him to immediately have his back turned to her, and he was not liking this at all.

_Helios?_

_'Engaging heat...' _The God sighed.

Sonic was heating up, and steam started to trail off from him. Sarah yelped and immediately let go, after feeling such immense heat coming from him. The steam coming off of Sonic started to dissipate, and he was back to normal. He turned around to see her mending to her hand, while he massaged his left arm. "Underestimate me?" he asked, but got a head shake from her.

"Barely. From what I've seen, you contained that heat for only a few seconds, and then you let go. And right now, you've got a broken left arm to heal." she stated, smirking again.

_Well, then... Helios!_

_'What am I? Your maid?!'_

_No, you're the god around this place. _Sonic replied, before having fire burst through his body. His red eyes became vibrant, but smoking. He shot both his hands forward, setting up heat into one place. Sarah made no movement, and even tried too hard to look bored. She even contemplated at her fingernails! Sonic focused the power of the sun into one attack, before launching it straight at her, a blazing fireball heading her way. Sarah just glanced at it, and the fires died down, leading only the force of heat swishing through her face.

She blew the smoke out by just... blowing. Sarah remained unfazed and glared at Sonic. "You done?"

"Not yet!" he retorted, before remembering he hadn't overheated. Yes, he was still heating up, and everything around him seemed blurry. The heat formed around Sonic had dispersed Sarah's vision that she couldn't see what Sonic really looks like. Heat emanated from the blue-red hedgehog, and a red flame engulfed him. He spread out his arms and more fires burst into view. Sonic dashed upto her, only to get the fires extinguished by just her presence. "Uh... what?" he asked, dumbfounded.

He was in the air, about to attack, and all of the sudden she was emitting _her_ power. And it was chilly there. The winds began to rise and Sonic was floating in the air. Pieces of rocks swirled around her, before she stopped. "Are there any other tricks I haven't seen?"

_'Hah! _Humiliating_...' _Helios grumbled. Sonic inched away from her, swimming in the air. Except, it wasn't water. _'I thought you hated water. Yet, you know how to swim.'_

_This is air, Helios! _Sonic replied, before rolling into a ball and revving up. He hurled an attack, in a form of a ball, hitting her straight with a homing attack. She fell back with the impact, going head over heels, before twirling in the same direction, like nothing happened. Sonic crashed into the dirt once again, coming up to see Sarah with the same bored expression, arms folded. _Before, we were almost even. Now, I'm outclassed!_ He contemplated.

_'...Again!' _Helios added,_ 'How's being a minor character for you, Sonic?'_

_Not now, Helium._

_'Seriously? That's all you came up with 'sound wave'?'_

_Shut up, God of the lame. You're rubbing off on me. _Sonic said inwardly, before sprinting across to Sarah. The girl swished in the air, turning to face him.

"So, God of distress and despair, just transform. Oh, wait, you can't. You need _our_ power. Sorry, no luck for you." she scoffed. Sonic smirked at her.

"I don't need your power. From what I remember, your power draws from _us_. Our _emotions_." Sonic stated, which made her smile turn into a scowl.

"Clever imbecile. But that would make you average, wouldn't it?" Sarah joked, before ducking under a kick. "What's wrong? Feeling... _sluggish_, slowpoke?" She smirked, before figuring something out and snapping her fingers. "I think I cracked it! Sonic starts with an 'S', and so does slowpoke! Now, I think slowpoke would be a better name for you, wouldn't you agree?"

That crossed the line in Sonic's book.

"So, you're saying you want to be called stupid? You want to be called scared? Shitty even!?" Sonic shot back, losing his cool. He took a deep breath, before continuing. Sarah kept an icy glare at him, narrowing her eyes. "You know what? I think you're mostly the negative Chaos Energy drawn from cursing. And the only attacks you know, is to keep mocking other people with words you could only comprehend because you heard them before-"

"Hey, now," she interrupted him, smiling. "When did I ever get in a bad mood? You're the one that cussed here. When did I ever do that? I was just teasing you, nothing bad about that, right?"

_'Woah, she's got a point, sound barrier-' _Helios was interrupted by the screeching sound that was Sonic's mind. He stopped it and focused on Sarah.

"Well, listen here, Sandra-"

"Sarah." the blue Chaos Emerald rolled her eyes.

Sonic couldn't care less about her name. He was just kidding. He was going to forget about this when they finish her off. She was a Chaos Emerald, nothing... lively? Sarah's been acting with energy all this time, and she was looking for a fight. Was this really the outcome of negative Chaos Energy? She's like a living person... "-Whatever, _Sarah_, you're made from negativity. And it's often having to do with the expressions of sadness, anger, and some more! You're-"

"Bored now. I'm just gonna... fly around till you get serious." she started to go away, until Sonic dashed in front of her. "What? You're done?" She warmed-up her arms. "Go ahead, make the first move."

"Sorry, but I'll pass-" A fist rocketed by the side of his head, the force of the wind made a cut on his face.

"I could've killed you anytime I want, just to let you know." she informed. She let her hand go by her side again, waiting for his attack. "Go on. Anything you throw is _nothing_ against me." she chuckled.

"Cocky." he responded.

"Conceited." she corrected.

_'Not much of a difference.'_ Helios bragged._ 'I mean, between you and her. Both of you are... _arrogant_.'_

Sonic could feel as if Sarah was just a friend of his. The way she spoke and acted, was like a friend hanging out with him. She knew him all too well. Too much. It was creepy. He arched back an arm, and she raised a hand to catch it. He feinted the attack and slid his foot against hers, surprising her. The element of surprise must've worn off of Sonic, but still, he had one arm charged for a punch. She got back into her floating stage, only to be hit in the nose. She was flung back, only a bit, before she charged head-on into Sonic, head-butting him.

* * *

><p>"<em>Reports say that Sonic the Hedgehog and the unknown creature are fighting as of now...<em>"

Tails' head perked up, only to slam into the Tornado's roof. That was gonna leave a mark. He got out of the biplane, crawling for anything he could get. "Ugh... Why didn't he wait for me?" the fox scowled, putting on one of the black gauntlets and searching for the other. Masses of cluttered junk that only Tails could distinguish from were everywhere, and he had to get himself properly ready for battle.

Amy was in the living room, staring at her golden necklace. She immediately went up to her room to change. _Sonic can't beat her! She's just _too_ strong! _She mused in a sad tone. The news report didn't even state the gender of Sarah, yet Amy _knows_...

* * *

><p>"That troublemaker... when I get my hands on him." Knuckles growled, hearing the report. "Well, he could buy me a few more minutes while I meditate. Because nobody else has a better chance of winning except me." he ended vainly.<p>

* * *

><p>Sonic, filled with anger, a faint black aura surrounded him, and he was on par with Sarah. But the two weren't going all out, yet. Loud thunderclaps and shockwaves shook the place, staggering the trees. The dirt crumpled under Sonic's shoes, as he ran over them at speeds faster than sound. Sarah and Sonic kept attacking, making each punch, kick or counter even worse than before. Dodge or block, both lead to other things. The blue hedgehog jumped away from a spiraling kick, before making a homing attack and rebounded off of Sarah. The teal creature pushed both her arms out and wind washed over the ball, sending it flying into a tree.<p>

The blue blur uncurled, skating on the earth. He jumped over to other trees and bounced off of them, and into another. He repeated the same movement, till he came close to the blue Chaos Emerald. Sarah backhanded the hedgehog, who flipped midair and landed onto her chest, before kicking off, somersaulting in the air while she dashed in the air and head-butted him. Sonic was sent spiralling into the ground, he used the momentum and dug into the dirt, tunneling through it. Sarah stayed aloft, before wondering where he went.

"Damn it-" she was interrupted by the earth ripping apart behind her. Instinctively, she turned back and made a roundhouse kick, but Sonic was already far up in the air. The hedgehog curled into a ball and headed straight for her. She smirked and changed the air flow, creating huge winds that sent Sonic off course, and back into the dirt. Sonic hurriedly straightened and leapt away, nearly missing Sarah's feet. Using the adrenaline, he focused a punch at her stomach, and it exploded on impact.

A small atom explosion, orange in color, expanded in the air, where Sonic hit her. Sarah seethed in pain, before getting kicked in the face. Sonic's arm was all destroyed, and he had three limbs left. The small explosion in the air imploded on itself and exploded again, shaking the air. Sonic made use of his leg and kneed her in the gut, letting her get damaged while he retained some. The impact of the explosion sent Sarah into a tree, while Sonic landed on the ground with a thud, both right arm and leg all bloodied.

Sarah wasn't looking good for wear, her clothes were somewhat torn and seared. Sonic was looking worse. He had bruises and cuts all over his body, his left shoulder looked broken, and both right arm and leg were unusable. The pain flowed through his veins, his nerves burned with a passion, alerting him that his arm and leg were destroyed. He had two limbs left, he could keep going. Heck, he could _maybe_ still use the damaged ones.

_'Sonic, you... seem like you've had better days.' _Helios remarked.

_I used the self-destructing atom thingy. _Sonic confessed.

_'I know. 'Cause I'm the one that controls that department.'_

_Good for you. Now I know you could disintegrate me at will._

A crackle from the trees sent chills into Sonic's spine. He ignored the pain and tried to get back up. This _had_ to be worse than getting shot. He stood up straight, ignoring the pressure he exerted on his broken knee. Sarah was up again, looking neutral. She gazed at the damage he had, and frowned. "_You're_ not getting up." she stated. "You can't fight-"

"Yes, I can." he instantly replied.

Sarah crossed her arms and responded, "Dude, that's like cheating. Destroying yourself as the price of defeating me is _not_ fair."

Sonic stared into space. "Hey," he began, "Watch your surroundings."

"Wha-"

A black metal-plated fist knocked her a few miles away. Tails landed beside Sonic, looking at the damages. The hedgehog smirked, before sitting down. Tails didn't prepare anything, but an armor that wouldn't last five seconds against Sarah. "This is how bad it went?" Sonic nodded. "You should've told us before going!" Tails scolded, panicking about Sonic's state. "I can't heal you! What am I s'pposed to do!?"

"Calm down, Tails, I'll live." he reassured. Tails could sense the same upbeat tone and decided that he was going to be okay for the meantime. But that much blood, it didn't exactly make him sure anymore that Sonic looked paler.

"So, what are we up against?" Tails inquired, watching as Sarah got back from the attack. She spat blood (Wait, do Chaos Emeralds have bodily fluids?) onto the ground, before glaring at the two.

"Well, would you be surprised if I say _that_ chick's my daughter?" the blue blur inquired, watching him gaze at the other blue Mobian-like creature. Tails turned his head to stare at him, arching a brow.

"Really, Sonic? A chick?" Tails lamented, his eyes drooping.

Just then, Sarah walked into their conversation. "Can I intervene? Well, of course I can, you two can't control me. And also," she turned to face Sonic. "I'm not your _daughter_! I'm your _creation_! You sick twit! I thought you were the God of distress and despair!" Tails gulped at that mention, while Sonic had a bead of sweat forming on his head.

"What does being a God of distress and despair have to do with having the knowledge to differentiate between 'your creation' and 'your daughter'?" Sonic asked, scratching his head with his left hand. _Plus, I'm not a god of whatever she called me, right?_

_'I couldn't have gotten into your mind if you were.' _Helios replied.

"Uh..." Sarah didn't have an answer for that, but tried to make one anyway. It was lame. "...It just sounds more evil!" She turned to Tails, "You! Fight now!"

"Gee, your daughter has a sure lust for battle-" Tails was knocked back by a punch he didn't expect, and got back on his feet. "Woah! She hits hard!"

"You said it." Sonic replied.

Tails got back up and and the armor placed a helmet on him. He looked like a black metallic fox, even with the tails. Sarah flew to him, and he retaliated with a kick. She dodged and spun around, sending a kick to his spine. The armor shattered there, and Tails already knew it would. He turned and backhanded the Chaos Emerald away. She kicked him as a counter and twirled in the air. She made a kick, and he blocked with his new gauntlets. Not a scratch made on _them_. The fox head-butted her, crinkling the helmet and shattering her nose.

A single trail of blood left her nose, before she retaliated, head-butting Tails' helmet. The thing didn't do much, and just shattered off. Tails's head was seen through and he smirked as pieces of his armor kept going away. _Note to self: armor I make won't help with anything against people like this. _Tails thought. He kicked Sarah away, robotic parts whirring with each joint. The fox took out a blaster rifle and pressed the trigger, sending a full-blast sound wave. Sarah got up and blocked the sound coming to her, but the force made her stagger and flew back. Tails threw the gun away, since it had no more power, and dashed through the trees.

Sarah came back, slamming into Tails and rocketing into the air. The fox tried to twirl his namesakes, and he stayed aloft for a few seocnds before falling. He stopped and used his rocket boots and blasted off into the sky again. He made an uppercut, and she dodged, making a counter and slamming her fist into the fox's gut. Pieces of metal spluttered out of the armor, and she smashed her leg into the fox's, breaking off the armor as well. Tails punched her in the face, but it didn't damage her. She had his fist in her face, while she smirked, putting force and bringing her head back. Tails retracted his arm, surprised.

"Anymore things your armor could do before I dismantle it?" Sarah asked. Tails shot a beam of concentrated heat from his gauntlet, aiming for her eyes. She moved her head and it swished past her. Tails put one of his rocket boots at full capacity and kneed her gut, forcing her to double over, while he raised two fists together. Sarah slammed her fist into Tails' gut _again_, stunning him. She placed both hands on his head and head-butted him. This time, both were dazed. Somehow, Tails' body was much more harder than the armor.

The fox rocketed back down, landing beside Sonic, who was gazing at the stars. Sarah followed, aiming a punch at the fox. She landed the hit, but it shattered the ground, while Tails leapt away. Sonic was in the earth-shattering proximity, and yelped before getting away. Tails huffed as he blocked a jab from Sarah, before getting the real hit to the knee. His leg joints crumpled as he felt a sting in his leg. He knelt down and grabbed the dirt, throwing it at her face.

"Hey! No fair!" she cried, shutting her eyes. Tails backed away some more, creating more room between him and her. He took out another weapon from his arsenal and shot a laser beam at her. She reacted faster, and dodged at the last second. Tails threw the gun at her, knocking her back a few inches, also stunning her. He sprinted, closing the gap between them, and made a jump kick. Sarah's chin stung and she held it, feeling as if her jaw broke. Couldn't be, she was harder than the metal Tails used. The fox made a straight jab for the face, but Sarah blocked it and kicked his legs. He fell, for a moment, but he caught himself with a handstand, kicking her in the head.

He was upside down, while she was right-side up. The kit fought like that, jsing his arms as legs and legs as arms. A weird fighting tactic, yes, but hard to predict. He kept doing that, kicking at her with expertise and sometimes pullimg her leg down. Sarah had to kick him in the gut multiple times for him to fall. Tails used his namesakes to create a buzzsaw, breaking and cutting through the metal armor. Now, he had more space. He continued to use the upside down tactic and swish around with his tails. Sarah blocked each one without effort, but didn't notice the change in momentum. Tails flipped back, throwing jabs and punches, before flipping forward and striking her with the soles of his shoes.

She forced Tails away using the wind, and blasted off into the air. The fox leapt towards her, tackling her before she got to a higher altitude, and slamming into the ground. She cracked some of his ribs with the fall, and he ignored the burning pain in his organs. Coughing blood, he turned swiftly, and made a flip kick, startling her. She didn't expect him to last longer than Sonic. The fox wiped the blood off his mouth and charged at her, elbowing her gut, while she made a counter attack and slammed her foot into his crotch.

"AACK." he yelped, clutching his crotch. The pain was unbearable, he fell forward to the ground, and it came from the heiress of doom. He rolled over in pain, as Sarah laughed. This was entertainment. _Priceless_ entertainment. The fox started to get teary-eyed and whimpered at the pain. Sarah laughed even _harder_.

"Come on, big boy, is that all you've got?" Sarah asked, walking around the fox tauntingly.

_Note to self: create invisible cushion for the crotch. It hurts. _Tails thought. He got up on one knee, trying to wear the pain out. "Not... all of it." Tails pulled out the rest off his armor, since it had no use to him anymore. All that was left of the armor were the gauntlets, the boots, and the chestplate.

Sarah smirked as the fox was now playing an even playing field. Shedding armor must've made him weaker, right? Now, the fox was faster, and he had no limiter from the armor. He dashed at her with new speed, rivaling that of Sonic, and did a spin dash. She was struck by it, amazed by his new power, and she decided to bring it up a notch. She had to use more power than against Sonic, that's for sure.

* * *

><p>Sonic laid on the dirt, rubble rolling over him. The fresh ground worsened his wounds, might even get infected. His eyes shut, sensimg pain in all of his body. Blood seeped into the rocky field, tainting the brown land with red liquid. Then, he felt himself regaining strength. Regaining health. He felt like he was rejuvenated. Someone was healing him. "Thanks..." Sonic looked up. "...AMY!?"<p>

She backed away a bit from the scared hedgehog. "_What_?" she asked, albeit a bit bitterly.

The blue blur got up. "When did _you_ get healing powers?"

Amy snorted and crossed her arms. "I don't have 'healing powers', it's _magic_. And I don't think I'll be doing it again." she answered, tapping on her golden necklace. "Thing's out of juice."

"So... it needs to be recharged?" Sonic asked, interested.

"Of course. _Now_," She pulled out her piko-piko hammer. "Where's the evil thing this time?"

Sonic pointed to the skies, two blurs of orange and blue smacking into each other. "_Right_ there." Amy prepared herself, but he stopped her. "She's mine, all right?"

Amy's eyes widened. "Wait... '_she_'?" the pink hedgehog seethed.

"My daughter, why..." _Crap, spoke too soon._ "Nevermind! Don't even think about it!"

Her ear twitched. "Your _daughter_? Who is she, Sonic!?" She pointed the hammer at him.

"Actually, Amy," he said, putting his arms out to calm her down. The pink hedgehog raised the hammer above her head. "It's my creation! Just from my negative energy!" A drop of sweat formed on the scared hedgehog's head. Amy calmed down a bit, lowering the weapon.

"Doesn't make sense. But nothing makes sense in our world, _so_... you're lucky this time." Amy stated, her tone as bitter and icy. Sonic cowered from her stature.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Huzzah!**

**Well, I got nothing for today's Author's Note, so... yeah.**


	13. Sarah's Kingdom: Act 2

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 13<span>**

_**Sarah's Kingdom: Act 2**_

* * *

><p>"You still hurting?"<p>

"Why'd you ask?"

Tails huffed as he knelt to the ground, glaring daggers at Sarah. The teal Mobian-looking Chaos Emerald smirked sadistically, taunting the fox to attack more. Neither moved since then, as the battle was taking place in a deserted forest, which had a giant circle of unfilled life. Small flames lit the place, and marks of their feet implanted the very ground they stood on. Well, one stood while the other clutched his stomach in pain.

A blue blur made it to the battlefield. "You okay, bro?" Sonic asked, lending him a hand.

"You're asking the guy who got his nuts kicked by your daughter... kinda the worst question to ask." he replied, taking his hand. _I mean, my pride and body are both scarred._ Tails thought. The fox looked the hedgehog up and down, realizing something. "How'd you get back up so fast?"

"Oh..." Sonic scratched the back of his head as a pink blur joined the fray.

"I'm here." the pink hedgehog said, scratching her nose. She wore a red dress with blue pants, a common mix for her. She had pink stripes going across her red dress, and she had no sleeves. But, her boots were black and her golden cuffs were shimmering. She yawned, while rubbing her eyes.

_Wow. All this time Sonic's been worried about Amy really meant something. How'd she turn into _this_? _Obnoxious_... Now, _I'm_ curious._ The fox thought. "Amy? But how?" he inquired.

"Magic." Sonic answered as he shrugged. _You figured it out yet, Helios?_

_'Nope. It's clearly what it is. __Magic__.' _Helios replied.

_There goes my number one search engine._ Sonic mused.

"Are you going to take me seriously now, or what?" Sarah asked, a few meters away. A standoff was made between the Sonic crew and the lone blue Chaos Emerald. A couple minutes have passed _and_: Tails was trying to recover. Sonic was sweating. Amy was staring off into space. Sarah was glaring at them. Knuckles was meditating- wait, he isn't here yet. Whoopsie.

Sonic's shoes dug into the dirt, ready to boost himself some speed. Sarah noticed the readied hedgehog and summoned up more power. Black aura vigorously danced in the air, surrounding her. The air shimmered around the Chaos Emerald, as her power increased dramatically. Tails gulped and steadied himself, feeling the tiny vibrations on the ground. Amy stopped wandering off and focused on the threat, gripping onto her hammer. Although, she wasn't thinking of using it. Her golden necklace shined with soft tremulous light, signifying it had recharged.

"Tails," she whispered, but it was enough to get his attention. The fox glanced at her, and she immediately locked eyes with her target, casting some healing spell. Tails could feel his body lighten, and the pain soon faded away. All superficial marks on him were gone. (Did it heal his privates, though?) Amy didn't linger around and informed them of her leave. "Well, I'm done. Good luck to you guys." With that, she saluted away.

"Uh... Tails, did she just bail out on us? I _never_ thought Amy would bail out on us." the blue hedgehog confessed, watching as Amy disappeared from his view. He turned his head to look at the fox, and noticed he was as good as new. "Oh, she healed you. Great."

Tails tapped his gauntlets, lighting them up with blue illuminations, patterns of the light-blue rays formed on the gauntlets and the boots. He ripped off the chestpiece and warmed-up. "It feels great to be free, doesn't it?" he asked rhetorically.

"You should make me those things." Sonic replied, completely ignoring what the fox just said.

"These took years to make, Sonic." Tails stated flatly.

"You're all at your prime now. Let's see how you two fare against me." Sarah spread her arms and the black lurky aura came back to life. Sonic and Tails tensed, putting on their fighting stances. Sarah rushed at them, and simultaneously, the brothers charged at her. With their speed, they closed the gap in less than a sonic second, creating sound barriers behind them and a giant shockwave that displayed their clash. The wave was so extensive, pieces of dirt broke off the ground from the force of the shockwave.

The hedgehog and the fox tumbled to the other side of the battlefield, having the same speed kept since the beginning. The Chaos Emerald, or being, was on the _other_ side of the deserted forest, arms at her side. Sonic hopped back to his feet, while Tails used his namesakes to get back up. The two panted, confused. How much energy did they just expend from that? Tails tried to go forward, but stumbled backwards. "What the... _How_?" the fox asked, befuddled.

"Meh. Energy was used to create that shockwave. It didn't use mine, but it used yours." Sarah answered, while Tails facepalmed.

"I'm such an idiot..." he insulted. Sonic tried to pat him on the back, but ended up missing and fell to the ground.

"Don't beat yourself up, pal. We didn't have energy. That means we can't power our brains." Sonic's head hit the ground, before snapping back up. "I'm losing control of my body..."

"I'm just messin' with ya. I was bored, so I cut some of the oxygen you're supposed to have." the blue Chaos Being said.

"But... air doesn't cause this..." Tails stated, in which Sarah laughed.

"I'm a Chaos Emerald. I do whatever I want and it could break the laws of physics, or _whatever_. It's supernatural. You already knew this a _long_ time ago. Three years I think? Anyway... um, besides, why find a way of the Chaos Emerald if it's just supernatural, _vixen_?" she asked. Tails arched a brow on that, before coming to a conclusion and made his eyes drooped. He thought the retort was lame. Sonic, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out what she called him.

"A... vixen?" the blue hedgehog inquired, staring at the fox.

"You've stooped down _so_ low... you called me a girl?" Tails asked, unable to understand how her mind worked. First, she tells him that science is practically worthless in the whole universe, then she tells him that the entirety of the time he used trying to make a conclusion with the Chaos Emeralds is a waste (which he already knew three years back, since Nazo told him), and finally she calls him a girl.

"Hm? I thought you were a girl this whole time!" she retorted.

_She's mocking me. _Tails thought. _That sounded like sarcasm! Why would she kick me in the crotch the first place?!_

_What's a vixen?_ Sonic asked inwardly.

_'A female fox.'_ Helios answered.

"Oh." Sonic replied audibly, causing a weird stare from Tails. The hedgehog made a shrug, and Tails went back to glaring at Sarah. The two felt their energy replenish, and Sarah looked eager. "You really _could_ kill us all, yet you're just-"

"-playing around? Yeah, my whole reason in life is just to do what negative energy wants to do, yet there's some positive energy lurking around. With a life set on just that, what's so fun realizing you had no challenge whatsoever? So, I'm going to get whatever I could do in my life before my whole existence is finished and I die." Sarah told them. Sonic was starting to think that she really is his daughter. Both had the _same_ desires in life: the best of what it could give.

"You're starting to sound like Sonic when I ask him 'what's the pupose of life'..." Tails remarked. _They have the same goals... But she's different because of her arrogance._

Sarah snorted, "Guess I'm just like 'dad' in _some_ ways..." She looked at her 'creator', who looked back in the same way. Sad. And she killed the mood. "But I want to get the best before I kill you."

"Well... that was fast. Ooh, _another_ trait!" Tails nudged Sonic. "How could we beat her? She's just like an omnipotent God! I mean, Goddess!" he whispered. The hedgehog smirked, pulled him and turned themselves the other way, their backs facing Sarah.

"Just relax." he said, "She's my daughter."

"That's not gonna cut it!" the fox whined, "She's gonna kill us before we know it!"

"Are we dead _now_?" Sonic asked rhetorically, basically proving a point.

Tails thought about it for a second. "I don't know; we could be just '_imagining_' this after we died."

"Is the glass half-full or half-empty?"

"Sonic, now's _really_ not the time."

"You're a pessimist." Sonic concluded, turning to face Sarah.

"Maybe," Tails smirked, tilting his head. "I'm just realistic."

Sonic smirked back. "'Real' is not the correct word for now. Remember, we're in the supernatural world-"

"-where we could _all_ be dead right now. And she's just playing with our minds." Tails replied. The two immediately jumped, only one of them literally did that, when they saw Sarah just standing right in front of them. Well, hovering.

"I'm _sorry_, but did I just hear you two trying to plan a way to kill me and then argue if whatever you're doing right now is real?" Sarah asked, showing how much ridicule they've said. Sonic was in Tails' arms, the aftermath of being frightened by her instant appearance. Realizing he was in his little brother's hands, he jumped out of it, dusting himself off. Sarah arched a brow at his actions. "And I thought you were a man."

"I'm eighteen!" he exclaimed, before he faltered his stature. "Wait... I'm eighteen? Wow, time goes by fast." Sonic put his arms behind his head.

_'Wasn't there a battle taking place? And my front row seat to an epic IMAX fight?'_ Helios asked.

Sonic tensed and got into a stance, alerting Tails to do so as well. Sarah leapt back, putting distance between them. She raised her hand and made a blue aura form out of it. "**Chaos Spear.**" she said as shot Chaos Energy out of it, while Sonic and Tails gulped as they forgot about that. The cosmic-looking blue ray shot forward, barely missing Sonic. The blue blur raced upto her and made an aerial spin. She darted to the right, and zapped Chaos Energy at the ball. Tails flung himself off the ground and swipung his tails at her, which she blocked. He tried to punch, but it was caught before he knew it. "**Chaos Control.**"

Instantly, Tails had skyrocketed, feeling numerous hits on his body. He twisted his tails to keep himself aloft, while he clutched his stomach, feeling the stings and burns of rapid-fire attacks. His internal organs felt like it was going to pucker, which made him feel like he was going to throw up. Sarah instantly appeared by his side, via Chaos Control, and slammed her fist in a backhand motion into his face. The fox held his face in pain, while yelling out in anguish. She grabbed him by the collar and flung him back into the dirt. Sonic got up, and the first thing he saw was Tails falling. He leapt up, grabbing the fox, and fell to the ground, lessening the impact. Sarah popped up out of nowhere and elbowed Sonic's chin, making him release Tails and back away.

She took the fox by the neck, making a taunt, "Is that all you could do?"

Tails kneed her in the gut, which made her double over. He backed away slightly, and rushed forth, slamming his gauntlet into her face. "Payback, niece!" he yelled, but got knocked back by her palm.

The attack stunned him and she took this chance to make an attack. She swung around, kicking him in the neck. With the force of her spin, she used it to make another attack while he's slightly in the air. She gripped both hands together and let it collide with his chest. Tails was knocked back a few feet, before having his shoes dig the dirt, forcing him to stop. He ran at her, arching back a fist, before making a full-blown punch. Swung right at her side, she felt hurt. Physical damage. Those gauntlets are _really_ great. She took him by the arm and tried to tug it out, but she can't. So she gripped it with metal-bending force, only for it to not obey.

"What the hell is this?" she demanded, shocked that sheer strength wasn't enough.

"Some kind of divine ore. Something along the lines of 'hardest metal in the galaxy'." Tails stated.

"_Galaxy_?" she asked, arching a brow.

"Universe is too much of an overstatement." he told her, pulling his wrist from her. He jumped away, and she heard a shout.

"**Inferno Burst!**"

Sarah's head turned, only to see bright orange. The flaming ball engulfed her, but it couldn't be enough. This was a Chaos Emerald they were talking about. Bright orange flames won't be enough. The blue blur stood in place, hands outstretched, and his fur turning red. His yellow blazing eyes turned into deadly crimson. And his fur stayed red. The hedgehog would need to gain more heat to even damage her. And he shook himself more, vibrating his atoms in _his_ way. With the combined effort of Helios' firepower and Sonic's speed, he could surpass and maybe triple his temperature. Maybe go for the blue flames this time.

_'Oh, you figured it out...'_ Helios muttered.

_Figured what out?_

_'That I lied about the vibration thingy. Didn't think you would comprehend that I was a God. I think you could ignite blue flames this time. I didn't even know it was possible for a mortal to create fires with just speed.'_

_Oh. That's... That's okay, I guess... THE MORTAL REALM SHOWED YOU! _Sonic replied.

He bursted into blue fire, and the heat he held had tripled. How his body had contained it was Helios' doing. As a God of... something, it's pretty obvious, Sonic had reached a new level of heat. His fur was slowly turning blue, the barrier of his 'overheat' had heightened, and his body was seen as a blur. Sarah got up while Tails watched Sonic break a limit. The Chaos Emerald smiled and cracked her neck. "Let's see... In the heat of the moment, you cherished your loved ones and it brought you here because you didn't want to see them dead."

Sonic was silent for a moment, before replying, "Actually, no. I just tried to see if I could vibrate any further."

"Huh."

"Yeah..."

The two clashed, father against daughter (vice versa), and Sonic was getting the hang of things. Sarah was capable of keeping up with this power, and it was almost like an even fight. The blue blur felt his flames die down, but he was still in that state. Another change in transcending to another level? He didn't care. He just knew Sarah was still suppressing. He knew that she kept her level down to even the odds. Both of them had their hands locked against each other, which one had more endurance, more strength. Willpower. Her eyes flashed and he felt something struck him in the head.

"Chaos Energy..." he seethed. "Well then," His hands lit up, scorching hers. She pried her hands off, switching to the dirt, and kicking up. Sonic's gloves shimmered and the blow had moved him a bit. His hands glowed golden, and he put them together. "**Inferno Burst!**" He shot a blue missile-like fire at her, which she got hit with. Her Chaos Energy had kept her clothes intact, but she could feel the burns.

"Hmph, **Chaos Torrent!**" she shouted, spraying bullets of Chaos Energy at him. Sonic ducked a few, before running off and putting distance between him and her.

He hopped to one side to another, before he brimmed with heat. He shot forth a mass amount of blue flames at her, shouting, "**Burning Blitz!**" The blue flames formed onto the ground as the bullets hit them. Sonic had noticed their array of attacks had filled the ground with shallow craters and flames, and the two were dodging for their lives. Tails, on the other hand, was leaning on a tree far away, watching the light show.

Sonic decided to end the barrage and leapt at her, and she fired a giant wave of Chaos Energy. "**Shatter Wave!**" Sonic dodged it and successfully connected his fist at her face. Her head backed away, while her body was flung a few inches away.

"First time I've heard a Chaos Energy-based attack without the word Chaos." Sonic remarked, going for another hit. Sarah got back from the attack and caught his other fist. She repeatedly slammed hers into his gut, before throwing him up in the air. Sonic felt his organs squish, and he was holding back more against her. The knowledge that she was the daughter he wanted to have was boggling his mind.

"It's irritating, I know. So, I just shouted out random crap." Sarah replied, boosting herself further. Sonic curled into a ball and made a homing attack, crashing into her head. He uncurled and kicked her side, while she was stunned by the previous attack. His kick swung her a few feet, and he tried to follow-up his attack, but it was less effective. He punched her a few times, but it didn't do anything. "I thought you weren't holding back... DON'T-" She swung her palm at her face. "-HOLD-" She slammed her knee into his stomach. "-BACK!" She ended with a kick, pushing him away.

Sonic regained his senses. He swished in the air, before firing up, setting into a flying position and crashed head-on into Sarah. He flew! Sonic did a backwards somersault, kicking both shoes up at her chin. The force turned her backwards, and at an angle they were perpendicular to each other. It was a clear shot for her to kick him in the back. And she did. She jumped off of his back, while he got pushed forward. His spine felt like it almost snapped, but he was still fine.

The blue hedgehog skidded in the air, turning around only to see Sarah preparing to kick him in the face. He dodged swiftly, and feinted a punch, before kicking her gut. She recovered and punched him in the head, knocking it sideways. The hedgehog set his jaw and tried to retaliate, only to have her out-speed him and appear behind him. He didn't have enough time to react, and felt excruciating pain behind his back. Sarah had put him into a hold and forced his back apart. "Let's see how long you could endure before your spine snaps."

Sonic felt her arm pulled around his muzzle, her knees placed into his back, two of his legs held in place by her other arm. She didn't hold his arms, but he felt useless to know that... his arms were surrounded by Chaos Energy. It was ring-shaped, and any move will cause it to sear his arm. Sarah put more pressure into it, making him screech with the sound of his back breaking. His intense heat didn't have any effect! Something knocked Sarah away, and Sonic was glad. Except for the light rings around his arms though.

The Chaos Emerald stopped in the air, seeing Tails back in the battle.

"Last time we fought, which was not long ago, you were defeated by me. Now that I have more power, what could you do?" she asked.

"Nothing." he replied.

Sarah was speechless. "What."

Sonic burned off the Chaos Energy rings, and floated beside Tails. The two had their stances, all in the air. Tails' twisting tails and Sonic's fire made them float, while Sarah's control of the wind helped her fly. Tails could feel the immense temperature from Sonic, and felt like he was melting. Heck, he's sweating buckets. Sonic saw this and decided to move away, by charging straight at Sarah. She created a sphere of Chaos Energy and fired at him.

"**Shatter Wave!**" she shouted, seeing the attack was deflected by the hedgehog. Sonic stopped mid-flight, grasping his arm. It burned him a bit, which made him cautious. He used his other arm to shoot at her. A yellow beam of light headed straight for her, and she dodged it. She charged at him now, head-butting his chest. Ribs might've broke, but he didn't mind it. He kicked at her, and she headed for Tails. His eyes widened as she saw her stunned body coming for him.

"Tails! No!" He stopped when he saw Tails backhand her with his gauntlet. The fox looked sorry for that. The thing packs quite a punch and it damaged her a lot. The force of the kick and the gauntlet moving right at her would kill almost anyone. Almost. Sarah teleported from her fall and beside Sonic, backhanding him. He caught her attack, but she had a counter for that. She swung her fist into his gut with enough force to make him spill blood.

Tails panicked and rushed at her. She noticed and elbowed him with the same arm she used to hit Sonic with. He was stunned and she backhanded him with the _same_ arm. He got out of the daze and tried to whack her with his gauntlets, but she backed off, making him miss his target, and she kicked him away. Sonic made a spindash at her, but she caught it just like before and made his attack slide over her. She spun and kicked the ball away and focused on Tails, who disappeared. "Where the-"

"Right here!" Tails yelled as he reappeared in front of her and struck her in the face. She was knocked back by surprise, but she recovered and head-butted him, using the distance he made between him and her and accelerated. It wasn't that fast, but it was in Tails' view. She punched him in the jaw, making his head move towards that direction. The fox tried to kick her, but it failed when she caught his leg. She saw Sonic coming back, and threw Tails at him.

"Catch!" Sarah taunted. Sonic stopped and dodged, knowing that if he caught him, he would probably melt. Tails felt his fur burn off within close proximity of him. The hedgehog continued his dash and punched her in the face. She didn't budge this time. Sarah kneed him in the gut, causing air to get snuffed out of his lungs. The faint blue aura he had zapped away, and his heat withered away. She grabbed hold of his neck, and felt the normal person's temperature. "You're somewhat like a candle. You'll lose your fuel for the fire like that."

She blasted him away in the chest, engulfing his whole body wih Chaos Energy. His body took off, and it disappeared with the violent gust of wind. It reappeared back on the dirt, just as she wanted. She'll fight him later when he's better. Tails hovered off the ground, watching. Sarah floated back on the ground, hovering like Tails. The fox had his arms crossed, and he stopped twirling his tails and landed on the ground. "Why'd you... let your father live?"

"To fight another day." she answered. "It'd get boring without him. He was a challenge, till that spark burned out."

Tails got into a stance. "So, it's you and me-"

A hammer whacked her in the head.

Well, it was flung by a long way from them. Aimed precisely to catch Sarah's attention. "You got Sonic." Amy said, appearing beside Tails like magic, blowing bubblegum. "Whoopie. Congratulations. Good job." she said with sarcasm, her eyes drooped and bored, while she clapped slowly.

"Hello, mom, I guess..." Sarah took hold of her hammer and tossed it back to her. Amy grabbed it and left it at her side.

Amy smirked. "That's my girl."

"What the heck is going on?" Tails asked, glancing at both women.

Amy glanced at him, before staring back at Sarah. "'I'm pretty useless in this battle.' Yeah, right. Like I didn't train three years just to stand by." She swung her hammer back onto her shoulder. "Tails, move away and let the girl do the job this time."

Tails had enough of it and moved away. "Okay..."

Amy then charged at Sarah and swung her hammer at her, successfully making her flinch away. Amy continued her hammer assault, until Sarah caught one after the last hundred strikes. "I underestimated you. A bad thing to do. But without the hammer in your control, could you-" Sarah stopped when she felt Amy's shoe move hers. It was a sly tactic to get her attention, and Amy used her free hand to punch her in the face. She smirked proudly, getting this far. Sarah clutched her jaw. "Okay, I underestimated you a _lot_."

"You did." Amy replied, before kneeing her in the gut.

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><p><strong>AN: ...**


	14. Sarah's Kingdom: Act 3

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong>AN: I have reached a decision.**

**Mobius = Earth**

**Earth = Mobius**

**We're good now, right?**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 14<span>**

_**Sarah's Kingdom: Act 3**_

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><p>Amy swung her hammer at her like doing a backhand with a tennis racket. This caused Sarah's head to move to that side. "Geez, what's that thing made of?" Sarah asked, placing her hand onto the side of her face.<p>

"Magic." Amy replied, making an uppercut. While Sarah was stunned, Amy put both hands onto the hammer and swung it at her as hard as she can, making considerable amounts of damage. Sarah staggered back, taking a few steps, before going all out. She struck Amy's face, but all it did was make her head turn to that direction. No visible marks or scratch. Amy smirked, "Ta-Dah! Magic!"

Sarah gritted her teeth, before arching back her leg. Amy swung her hammer back and readied herself. The two shot both their attacks at once, and hammer and leg collided. A shockwave commenced, and Amy's hammer was still put. Sarah, on the other hand, struggled to stay with the hammer. Her leg had been faltering, as if the hammer was much more stronger. She prevailed, kicking the hammer away and making another kick for Amy, who blocked. Her golden cuffs had created a yellow virtual shield, which looked like it was made by technology.

Sarah backed away, arching a brow, before retaining that normal expression on her face. "Lemme' guess... Magic?"

"And she _learns_!" Amy gasped sarcastically, putting a hand on her mouth. She flicked her other arm to the direction of her piko-piko hammer, and it flew into her hand. "To answer your question. Yes. Even if it looks like it, I don't have any tech with me. It's _all_ purely magic." she explained, swinging the hammer in a circle, before leaving it by her side.

"Magic. Heh. It's not what I would call supernatural. More mysterious. You could just destroy me and say it was magic. And nobody would know." Sarah stated, narrowing her eyes. The two had a standoff for a while, and Sarah broke the silence. "I wonder what _real_ magic could do. Maybe send me off to another Universe or dimension?"

"You're lucky. The magic Goddess limits me." Amy replied, tilting her head in a bored manner. Sarah looked at her in the same way. Bored. It was like a game for them. Inside, this was interesting. Outside, this was boring. Amy's eyes sparked a lighter shade of blue, confusing Sarah.

The Chaos Emerald floated up, and Amy let her. She stopped somewhere in the air, waiting for Amy. The pink hedgehog crouched, before the wind shifted around her. White tendrils shot up from the ground, surrounding Amy with increasing speed, before she vanished. The wind shot off, revealing nothing. Sarah narrowed her eyes with suspicion. Amy's hammer struck her in the back, and she swiped at it, only to cut air. She felt her surroundings, trying to feel where the air shifted. An anomaly. She turned back and caught the red-yellow hammer, which exploded upon impact, hurtling her backwards. She caught herself, glaring at the winds.

_The air is my domain! How is she controlling my kingdom? Oh, wait... magic._ She thought. She kicked at the air, swiping at the abnormal winds and shot Chaos Energy in different directions. After that, she twirled in the air, creating her own tornado. She stopped in the middle, watching as the winds slashed and cut through the clouds at mach ten. A hammer was thrown at her direction, unaffected by the large storm. She dodged, before finding out there were countless others. Numerous red and yellow hammers were flung at her. Some just going straightforward, others just spinning right at her.

"Like the show?" Amy asked, startling her from behind. The pink hedgehog stopped each and every weapon in the air with just a hand signal. Sarah elbowed her unexpectedly, and made a backhand after it. She turned and jabbed at her, and it made scratch marks.

_Catching her by surprise worked. _Sarah thought.

She continued her assault, till Amy caught her fist and threw her into one of the paused hammers. It exploded just like the other, irritating the blue Chaos Being. Amy rushed at her and used her golden bracelets as a weapon, smashing them against her with as much force. Sarah felt the stings and the burns of each attack and kicked Amy away. This affected her, for some reason. The pink hedgehog vanished from the air and teleported beside Sarah, who struck her the instant she appeared. Amy held her arm out, a yellow shield blocking the hit.

All this happened in a giant tornado that was ripping the skies.

Amy used her shield to smack Sarah in the head. It worked, but she recovered fast and planted a fist into her gut. Amy gasped for air, after feeling it leave her lungs. She pulled through and punched Sarah in the face, which didn't faze her. The blue Chaos Being smirked, thinking she was back in control. Amy saw that grin and couldn't help but smile. The Chaos Being was befuddled, until she heard all of the hammers creaked at once. The pink hedgehog vanished, and the hammers were all hurled towards her.

"Crap!" Sarah cursed, seeing no opening for her to escape through. She made a barrier, consuming her Chaos Energy, and the hammers slammed themselves into it like a magnet attracting metal. They all exploded upon impact, sending a chain reaction that created a giant orange smoke pile in the air, that kept enlarging. The hurricane stopped slowly, turning into a short wide tornado, before the wind dispersed throughout the forest. The trees flattened from the giant tornado, and Tails thought Sonic would force them to replant all of them.

Amy materialized beside Tails, looking tired. It was because she extended her energy into the golden necklace, consuming her life force too. It drained her to the point she couldn't do anything else but breathe to stay alive. The fox caught her, before settling her down. He looked up in the air, and saw the giant orange explosion finish, showing nothing but air. The winds ceased, and he looked down.

He knew this wasn't over.

"That was a nice stunt." a female voice remarked behind him. The fox turned back to see Sarah unharmed by the explosion. She gloated in her appearance, smirking with her arms folded. Tails already knew how she got out. Chaos Control. "Too bad, 'mom' couldn't keep up."

The fox rested his arms by his side, before his gauntlets lighted up with blue light themselves. Sarah's eyes widened while she smiled, she wanted to fight. Tails put on a stance, daring Sarah to attack. She uncrossed her arms and put on a stance as well, daunting him. Tails felt a bead of sweat roll down his face, as Sarah's smirk widened. The next second, they vanished from each others sight, and fought in high speeds. This was the _third_ time Tails had to fight her.

The fox closed the gap and launched his gauntlet at her, but she dodged and kicked his legs. He stumbled a bit, before swinging his other arm at her. Sarah caught the attack, and Tails used his gauntlet to shoot heat beams. Rays of yellow light shot out from his black gloves and Sarah moved away, dodging each and every attack. She backflipped whenever he struck the ground with the beams, and she ducked whenever he tried to swing at her face. Sarah smirked and punched him in the face. He backed off, before retaining his movement. The fox rushed at her and used his gauntlet as a shield, crashing into her.

Sarah's shoes dug into the dirt. The friction made with her shoes and the dirt spark smoke out. His charge stopped, and he tried to move more, but she pushed back. The two were pushing each other with the gauntlet, before Tails made a move and kicked her with his black-blue boots. Sarah recovered from the attack, setting her jaw, and retaliating with a kick to his face. The fox almost blocked, but with her speed, she struck him with her boot. Tails fell to the ground, before Sarah jumped onto him. He sat up, swinging his gauntlets above his head, while Sarah jumped on them and leapt off.

"You're no fun." Sarah remarked, before Tails charged at her. He swiped at her, jabbing the air with relentless force. Sarah dodged most, sometimes blocking his hits. The gauntlets seared her arms, and she relied on moving fast enough to get away from his attacks. "Okay, maybe I lied about that." The two clashed, punching each other at the same time, and their fists collided with each other. Sarah felt her arm numbing, while Tails tried to put his hand to proper working order. The hardest metal in the Galaxy won't take away _all_ the damage.

The two somersaulted backwards, putting distance between them again. Tails' arm decided to be a jerk and broke, much to his dismay. His arm looked dislocated, it looked like it was hanging limply by his side, and it was. Tails gritted his teeth, wincing at his broken arm. That last hit had really taken it to the extreme. His bone must've snapped off, and turned into little tiny fragments. "Augh... crap..." he muttered, holding it with his other hand.

"We're done here, right?" Sarah asked, showing concern for the kit's arm. Tails looked back at her and frowned, showing his annoyed look. Sarah then put on a smirk, and rubbed her wrist. "That last one was good. Could you put up _more_ hits like that? If ya can, keep doing it, maybe you'll beat me."

Tails smirked back, ignoring the pain. "I don't need to beat you."

Sarah ducked under a punch and backhanded the person behind her. She turned to see Sonic on the ground, grasping his face. The Chaos Being turned back to Tails, who wasn't surprised by the least. "Really? That didn't amaze you?" she asked.

"No... I didn't even know Sonic was up. Plus, I don't think he could hurt you at all." he explained, keeping a straight face. He wanted to laugh and yell at the same time. His arm muscles burned with his broken bones. He tried to mend his arm by massaging it, but it didn't do much to make him feel better. "I was just saying I couldn't beat you. Someone else would. But not me. Neither did I think of that sneak-attack Sonic pulled, but failed."

"That's nice of you to be honest with me." Sarah replied, getting a grunt from Tails.

"You're Sonic's daughter... and you're starting to act better." Tails stated, while Sarah frowned. Tails' lips curved into a smile, knowing he figured her out in the last few minutes.

"That's... That's not true! I haven't 'acted' better." Sarah said, spreading her arms.

"Oh, what was that? You said you'd _kill_ Sonic. You didn't." Tails replied with a smirk.

She turned to face Sonic, and grabbed her dad by the neck. The blue blur was lifted up by his daughter, feet leaving the ground. His legs swung in the air, while he tried to pry her grip off of him. "What... the hell," he mumbled, trying to keep as much air in his lungs. "...Tails?!"

"How's this?" she asked, trying to prove a point.

"He's not dead yet." Tails retorted.

Sonic's eyes widened.

"TAILS!" he called, all the while choking to death. Sarah glanced at her father, before glaring at Tails. She immediately let go of her dad, and contemplated at the fox. Sonic was on the ground, gasping for air, while Sarah just massaged her wrist again.

"Fine. You win." Sarah finally admitted. "I 'acted' better." Tails kept his smile, while Sarah thought of wiping it off. "I didn't want to kill my _only_ entertainment." she added, but the fox still had his grin. The blue blur sped off to the kit's side.

Tails' smirk was wiped off when Sonic punched him in the face, lightly. "That was for making me nearly die." he said. Tails waved him off, before tending to his arm. Sonic saw the broken arm and laid his eyes on Sarah. "Gave you a hard time?"

"Yeah-" the fox was interrupted by his brother.

"Wasn't talking to you." he joked, gaining a glare from Tails.

The Chaos Being in front of them scratched her neck. "Nope. Not at all." she said.

"I'M HERE!" A red echidna landed onto the middle of the battlefield, surprising them. He just jumped out of nowhere. He was wearing his usual Knuckle mitts, and the boots, but one thing he had that was different was that he was wearing a shirt. It was just a regular gray shirt, that said 'World's Best Echidna' in bold red words. Sonic and Tails were enlightened to see him, while Sarah just rubbed her nose subconsciously.

"I didn't sense your presence just now." Sarah stated. "Where'd _you_ come from?"

"None of your business." Knuckles retorted, before Sonic decided to butt in.

"She's my daughter, Knux. Be careful." the blue blur said. Knuckles just scoffed, then laughed crazily, before he realized nobody else was laughing, next he stared at Sonic for a second with no sound coming from anyone. There was a slight tension between the two, before Knuckles responded.

"You're kidding, right?" he asked.

"Nope. He wasn't kidding." Sarah answered, getting a halfhearted laugh from the echidna.

"Hah, hah, hah. No, seriously, you're kidding right?" Knuckles repeated, looking her up and down.

Sarah didn't say anything, and neither did Sonic nor Tails. Amy was still sleeping on the ground beside them, so...

Silence.

Knuckles' eyes widened. "Oh, _dear_ Chaos, you're not kidding." _That means Tikal wasn't joking when she said Sonic was the cause of this... _His eyes darted to the blue blur, who had his mouth agape. "YOU IDIOT! TURNING INTO THAT FORM!" he said as he punched the air in the blue blur's direction, imagining that it was Sonic. The blue blur gulped as he felt the wind rush around him.

Sarah snorted, "Come on. It's not a big deal, isn't it?"

"NOT A BIG DEAL?! THE MASTER EMERALD IS TAINTED BECAUSE OF HIM!" Knuckles screamed, making a scene by thrashing around. Sarah just folded her arms, not knowing what to do in this situation. A drop of sweat formed on Sonic's head, while Tails just watched the scene play out.

"Then cleanse it." Tails said, like it wasn't a big deal.

"You think I didn't do that?" the echidna asked rhetorically, stopping his actions. Tails was about to reply, but he shut his mouth, noting Knuckles' aggressive behavior. The exasperated Guardian just contemplated at the ground, before looking at Sarah. "So... you're Sonic's dughter."

Sarah nodded, "Yes."

"And you're _okay_ with that?" he asked. Sonic's eye twitched, unbeknown to anyone.

"What? Do _you_ think you make a better father?" she asked, getting an 'ooh' from her dad. Knuckles crossed his arms, and glared at her. "Anyway, you're pretty much dead right now."

"Why is that?" Knuckles asked, his nose in the air. Sonic and Tails leaned forward to hear her answer.

Sarah leaned forward, arms on her hips, and smirked, "Because I can kill you."

The echidna laughed. "We don't know that." He then contemplated at his words, and added, "Yet."

"Knuckles... me, Sonic and Amy haven't beaten her! What makes you think you can?" Tails exclaimed, his good arm waving around. He then left his arm to his side, thinking, and then used his tails as a cushion for himself. He sat on his tails, putting his arm behind his head. "Nevermind, give us a good show." he said, whilst putting one leg over the other. Sonic just sat on the ground beside Tails, scratching his bruised nose.

Knuckles faced Sarah, and she assumed the same posture: standing straight, arms crossed, and head giving a mocking side. The echidna then loosened himself, preparing himself for battle. The Chaos Being just stood there, taunting him to come forward. Knuckles threw a punch, and Sarah dodged. She backed away from him, floating in the air, while having her arms behind her back. Knuckles rushed forward, catching up with her. He threw out punches, most of which she dodged. She wasn't using her arms, which infuriated him.

"Stop holding back!" Knuckles chided, and he was immediately smacked in the face. The force was enough to make him stop, but it didn't move him away. Sarah's fist was outstretched, and she found a great battle. Knuckles kicked at her, but she caught it. She put both hands on it, pushing it down, while she went up. She twirled over him, and simultaneously, Knuckles tried to hit her with his fists. The echidna was too slow, for Sarah had already landed on the ground, back to back with him.

"You're great for a warrior." she remarked, before kicking backwards. Her foot slammed the part behind his knee, and he crumpled over. He tried to slash her with his elbow, but she moved forward, making him completely miss. Knuckles got back up and aimed a punch behind her head. She swished and caught the fist before it hit her. The wind blew her face, and she blinked. "Nice one. Made me blink. Nobody's ever done that."

He tried to push his fist, but it didn't budge. "Stop mocking me!" he yelled, pulling back his fist. Sarah let him, and she put on a stance.

"I'm serious! No one's ever made me blink on purpose!" she jeered, jabbing him in the face. Knuckles wasn't fazed and retaliated, pushing his fist into her gut. She wasn't fazed as well. "Uh... you're a Guardian of the Master Emerald?"

"Yes..." Knuckles replied.

"Oh. Explains a lot. Like how you were able to tank my hits." she said, kicking his chest. He stumbled back, before blocking each move she made. Punch or kick, all were blocked, Sarah was getting frustrated. So, she did the only thing she knew that calmed her down. She spoke. "You're getting faster! I like that!" _The hell?_ She thought. _That sounded dirty._ She shot rapid-fire punches at him, and he blocked all of them.

"This isn't even a fighting style..." Knuckles retorted, easily blocking each hit. "You're making the same movement all the time-" He felt his legs move out, interrupting his speech. He caught himself before he fell, balancing with one arm. He kicked at her, leaving a white semicircle trail. She wasn't there. "_O_-kay..."

"Right here, asshole!" she shouted in the air as she gave the middle finger. Knuckles' eyes widened, before gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes.

"Did my daughter just flip him off?" Sonic asked, putting a hand over his eyes.

Tails narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "Yeah. I wish _I_ could do that."

The echidna growled before leaping into the air and launching several punches at her. She flew back, while he glided in the air, shooting off punches. A vein appeared on his head, signalling he was pissed off. She smirked successfully, doing something Tails was afraid to do. She retaliated by shooting off Chaos Energy. "**Break!**" she yelled, hurling a yellow sphere at him. Knuckles shoved his arms into a cross, and blocked the attack. Sarah grinned evilly and shot more Energy. "**Wind Torrent!**"

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><p><strong>AN: Chapter looks short... I know! They'll look even shorter!**

**_BONUS_! ...-es.**

_Silver Status: Three_

_Project Nightmare: Inactive_

_Project Anti-Shadow: Ready_

_Divine Warriors: Un-gathered_

_Galaxy Emeralds: Incomplete_

_Gods Statuses: Worried_

_End of All Things: In a Different Timeline_

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><p><em><span>Extra:<span>_

"Why'd we go through the trouble of getting this mess?"

"Shut up, Shade. Just help me out."

The black-furred red-striped hedgehog yawned, before blasting yellow energy at the door. This black hedgehog was like Shadow, except for the obvious change. Gender. Rouge hopped into the melted gate, careful with the singed metal. The red color of the metal turned back to gray, cooled. After all, they were on a mountain with the snowy skies and stuff. The white snow had their footprints, and Shade didn't shiver. Rouge wore extra clothing to keep herself warm. "Why aren't we helping the others?" the 'female Shadow' asked.

"Why are _all_ the Ultimate Life Forms deaf with me?" Rouge sighed, gaining a grunt from Shade. The white bat flew into the main room, with Shade following closely. "Okay, Sonic and his gang could handle those things. The thing we're trying to find is even worse than Chaos Emeralds. And if they don't succeed, at least I don't die doing something _useless_."

"Sure... I'm gonna have my Chaos Energy depleted and I'm useless." Shade replied. Rouge was tapping on some of the keyboards, booting up the computers and their files. The white bat glanced at her, before responding.

"You're not useless. You're one of the _Ultimate_ Life Forms created by Egghead, his grandfather, and his colleagues." She stopped, and then added, "If he had any. Plus, you're the first one to generate a Source of Chaos Energy for your own. It's a nice addition. Call it a Power Generator. Lotsa people who played, worked with or on the Chaos Emeralds will get it." She then slammed her fist on the keyboard. "Damn. It's not here. Well, it's officially the seventy-eighth time since we last got any info about it. But there are some _interesting_ files here..."

Shade arched a brow, then glanced at the files of the computer. There was a picture of Shadow, the plans of how to make him, then a picture of the other imitations of him. One looked like he was a robot, another looked like a knight, and another looked just like him, except Hawaiian, for some reason. And then there were some werehog files and a picture of Maria. Shade looked away. She was the most powerful among any living being right now, since the other Ultimate Life Forms aren't awake. And her 'Power Generator' proves this.

"So... Power Generator, huh?" Shade smirked.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope that showed you a _lot_. Like Rouge's whereabouts, other plans for the story, and the 'other' Ultimate Life Forms. And yes, I know the 'Sonic Boom' Shadow doesn't have the hawaiian outfit, but it was such a cool design, it had to get a mention.**

**I hope the seven bonuses didn't give _anything_ away.**

**...**

**It must've given _something_ away. **

**SHADOW CORPS, _AWAY_!**

**(_Away_...)**

**Those weren't actually hints, they were just there. I don't know what's this got to do with 'away', but I think my brain is trying to tell me somethin'.**


	15. Game Changer

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong>AN: This came out early! And it's all because I finished the next chapter already.**

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><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 15<span>**

_**Game Changer**_

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><p>Knuckles dodged the array of attacks, and charged at her. He raised both arms above his head, making a double ax handle. She swerved violently to one side, dodging his attack. He was in leg reach, so she kicked him in the face. Knuckles staggered back, before moving forward and retaliating. He threw a punch, but she grabbed his arm and threw him away. She then made a sphere of yellow energy, and hurled it at him. "<strong>Shatter Wave!<strong>"

The echidna blocked it in midair, smoke spraying from it. He landed gracefully back on land, legs apart and crouching. He got back up, and somersaulted backwards, dodging a range of Chaos Energy-based attacks. Sarah flew back onto the ground, her boots clanking, before speeding off to get him. She kept firing attacks, trying to get on the offensive, while Knuckles dodged each and every one of them, jumping back and forth. Fortunately, she got to him. Unfortunately, she was jumped on by the echidna.

"How'd ya like _that_?!" Knuckles inquired, landing a few meters away. Sarah laid on the ground, sprawled out, before getting back up. She vanished from his sight, and materialized beside him. She put her elbow on his shoulder, and stood casually.

"It was... an average attempt." she remarked, pulling him back and kicking him in the gut. He doubled over, sideways, and she made a double ax handle, and smashed him into the ground. Knuckles wasn't all that damaged, as he rolled away from a stomp and got back up in seconds. "_As_ predicted, Guardian." Sarah mocked, before shooting a beam of the color yellow at him.

Sarah's narrow blast didn't hit him anywhere, he just rolled over and dodged. The Chaos Being smirked as Knuckles tried to leg sweep her, but to his dismay, she didn't budge. Instead, she spun around, spin kicking _him_ around. She then used this to her advantage and forced the winds to blow it away, bringing Knuckles into the forest. She waited for a few seconds, before Knuckles returned out of nowhere.

"_Seriously_, how do you do that?" Sarah demanded, wanting to know the secret to his teleportation. Knuckles rammed his namesakes into her jaw, but it didn't do anything to her.

"I've got my ways." he replied.

"Well, I've got mine." the Chaos Being said, as her eyes glinted blue. Knuckles felt her strike his chin in that instant, but she didn't even move. The echidna stumbled back, before standing straight into his original position. "Really? That didn't stun you?"

"I'm starting to think you're not trying to kill me..." Knuckles informed, which caused her to frown. "You're not fighting seriously, and none of us are getting seriously hurt." He glanced at Sonic, Tails and Amy, before looking back at Sarah. "Except for them."

"I'm not killing, because you people are the only ones that can entertain me." Sarah stated.

Knuckles just contemplated at her, crossing his arms. "What if I _quit_?"

"Then you'll die like the rest of them." she replied nonchalantly. Sonic's ear twitched, knowing all this. Tails could hear, but he rested his case. "Even if my dad quits, I'll kill him, no matter what."

"You sound like death has no consequences." Knuckles stated.

"It _really_ doesn't." she replied. "To me, we just have to fight for the best. To continue playing the _game_. Death only kicks you out of the game. Out there, you could just continue living when dead. If I die, then I lose the game. I'll accept that." She turned to face Sonic, albeit a hundred feet away. _But... I don't actually think like that anymore... the probability of me dying is changing, and the rules are getting different..._

Knuckles cracked his namesakes, bringing Sarah's attention back. "So, you _really_ don't care when you die?"

Sarah didn't answer.

She charged at him and slammed her fist into his gut, getting him to spill blood. He felt pain again, while Sarah's aura turned to white. Flashy, with a hint of blue. Her true powers were starting to reveal, and the winds shook. Sonic and Tails went out of their relaxed positions and put on a stance. Amy stirred from this, and groggily stood up. She outstretched her arm, and a hammer magically shifted into existence. The brotherly duo had their backs together, as Tails' arm was broken, he still gripped it. The clouds came around, swirling in the battlefield among them, and lightning flashed.

Knuckles held his stomach in pain, and tried to stand straight. Sarah watched as it all happened, putting on a straight face. The winds grew stronger, and the whole battlefield had been lifted by a tornado. Now, they were going to fight on a floating piece of rock, surrounded by razor sharp winds and storms. Trees began to detach from the grounds that were below theirs, and small pieces of the Earth's crust stirred in the hurricane. Sonic was ready, Tails was a bit scared, while Amy was trying to stand. Knuckles got used to the pain, and stood up fully. Sarah had floated off the ground, and shimmered with white.

"Did she really have to do this?" Tails asked.

"Maybe this is what happens... when they're at _full_ power." Sonic theorized, doing it faster than his fox bro.

Amy used her hammer as a walking stick, holding her up. "Sweetheart, stop this at once." she said in a family-like tone to Sarah. Sonic and Tails stared at her like she was crazy, and she shrugged at them. "Thought it would work."

All four had their spikes flying in the air, made by the strong winds. Amy's face had been covered by half of her quills, while the other half was dancing in the air. All three strands of Tails' 'hair' had been kept aloft. All of Sonic's quills were dangling in the air. Knuckles' long quills were also floating. Sarah's were the only ones that was in perfect condition, with her powers and all. The sky darkened there, and the four were only beginning to taste her power. Just like each boss battle, there would always be a hard finale.

It had only begun.

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><p>"If only I was alive..." Shadow frowned, sitting cross-legged from the TV. Maria patted him on the back, as if to comfort him. "I could've helped save the world. If I just left Double Chaos Control-"<p>

"None of this would've happened. Earth would be destroyed and no one would get this far." the girl ended for him. Shadow contemplated at her for a second, noting her dark tone, before setting his eyes on the telly. "You did what you had to do, Shadow. Don't beat yourself up."

The ebony hedgehog stood up, walking out of the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Shadow glanced at her, before replying, "I'm going to do something that's _not_ useless."

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><p><em>'Hey, you're part of the big finale! Didn't think my view would get this far!'<em> Helios joked.

_Great..._ Sonic thought.

The azure hedgehog stood on the quake-prone land, his legs wobbling from the trembles. Sarah looked around, before zipping around the place, and the grounds stopped shaking. It had all stopped. She then huddled all four of them up, and landed in front of them. "All right. Now, _no_ one will quit. If I die here, you all are going down with me. Clear?"

"Crystal." Tails said while gripping his arm, and being the only one that replied. _I could fly, and Knuckles could glide. Amy could use her teleport thing, and Sonic could rely on me, or do that heat thingy._ He planned inwardly. He didn't _really_ show it, but he had a faint smile.

"If you die, then it's your fault." Sarah smiled. _Please don't die on me..._

Sonic, Tails, Amy and Knuckles thought that grin was a sadistic one.

Amy positioned her hammer, Sonic readied himself to sprint, Tails put on a stance, and Knuckles prepared himself for battle. Amy glanced at Tails, and his arm was brought back to life, but she stumbled forward, losing energy. Sarah almost felt sympathetic and wanted to help her up. Good thing her dad was there to do the job, so that she wouldn't. The blue blur helped her stand, and Amy gave a reassuring smile, before going into unconsciousness.

"Ames..." Sonic mumbled, before looking back at Sarah.

"Sonic, you go get Amy to a safe place on this train wreck! Knuckles and I will hold her off!" the fox exclaimed, before charging at Sarah. Knuckles stared at him in disbelief, before charging at the Chaos Being with him. Sonic sped away, trying to find a safe place to set her down.

"Hold me off?!" Sarah mocked, waiting for the two to come at her. "You must be kidding." She kicked Tails, sending volatile shockwaves of pain into his stomach. The fox doubled over, clutching his gut, while Knuckles tried to get a hit on her. She dodged a punched and retaliated, swinging her fist straight into his face, sending the echidna flying off. "Not even for a second." she stated.

"**Scorch!**" A blue fireball struck her down.

She stood up, scratching her head, and saw Sonic back on the battlefield. The two stood around, waiting for the other to attack. Sonic was gonna be less of a threat, now that Sarah's gotten stronger. But how much? The Chaos Being charged at him, while Sonic took a defensive stance, pushing all his weight in front. Sarah noticed this and teleported behind him, swinging a kick. Sonic only turned just in time to see her foot plant firmly into his back, making him stumble forward.

The blue blur did a flip, pushing the ground, and landing back on his feet. He curved his arm back, signalling a punch. Sarah took a moment to notice, before doing an instinct dodge. The hedgehog predicted it, and paused there. The Chaos Being observed the stop in his actions, and used this time to attack. Sonic then used his other arm as a trick, attacking her with it, knowing she would be able to dodge. Instead, she blocked, and Sonic hurtled his charged fist at her, flaming blue. The shockwave bursted into fires, lighting up the oxygen in the place. Sonic held his breath, and did a knee strike, in which she ducked under.

Sarah head-butted him, causing him to flinch and back away. The hedgehog retaliated with a head-butt, but missed when the Chaos Being teleported. Sonic almost struck his head onto the ground, but he caught himself, doing a flip and landing where Sarah was. The teal creature stood in place, almost mocking in a way. Sonic gritted his teeth, then smirked. He charged at her, fists clenched with fire. Sarah's eyes glinted, and Sonic rolled to the side, noting the explosion that commenced a few feet away. The hedgehog resumed his dash, and got to her in a second.

Tails got back up, twirling his twin tails into a propeller. Sonic tried to strike at Sarah, but she backed away with every fiery punch he threw. He stopped trying to attack and shot blue flames at her, and she enveloped herself in a blue shield. Reinforced with Chaos Energy, it took the brunt of the damage without breaking. The fires spread out, and he stopped, catching his breath. She moved forward, and didn't notice Tails sneaking around. The fox shoulder-charged at her with blinding speed, she was knocked back a few feet. He relighted the blue lines on his gauntlet, and power surged through the metal.

"We need a plan of attack." Tails said, while Sonic panted. The hedgehog didn't respond to him, and the fox continued. "I'm guessing we should get her to stay on land. It weakens her."

Sonic's eyes snapped open, "_Weakens_? How'd you know that?"

"I remembered that she handled us so easily in the sky, but when she was on the ground fighting me, we were... slightly even. That's how I found out she gets weaker on land." the fox informed. Sonic smirked when he said 'slightly even'. The blue blur stood straight, his body fuming with a cool fiery aura.

"She's on the ground now, and she's _still_ capable of pushing me around." the hedgehog stated.

The fox responded sarcastically with, "Well, it's not like she's at full power right _now_... Of _course_ she's pushing you around, she's stronger than last time!"

"Weakened when on ground, I hear?" Sonic's and Tails' head snapped forward, watching as Sarah got off from the dirt. "Let's see if that _theory_ of yours works." Sarah said as she smirked in front of them. The two tensed and got into their fighting positions, ready to throw an attack. Sarah teleported and threw a fist into Sonic's face, shattering his jaw. She then kicked at Tails, but he blocked with his gauntlets, while his feet dug into the dirt from the impact. The blue hedgehog had his mouth hanging open, and he clutched his mouth in pain. The fox tried to connect a kick, but she teleported and got away.

"Dang teleportation." Tails muttered, looking around to try and find her.

"You don't like me teleporting?" Sarah asked, appearing in front of him. Tails backed away in shock, before straightening his posture. "Then I'll make a handicap for you. I won't use teleportation." Tails huffed, and Sarah charged, shoulder bashing him in the chest. The fox's body jerked backwards, unprepared for the attack. He caught himself on the ground and brought both his gauntlets up. The daughter of Sonic flew into him, ducking under his gauntlets, and head-butting into his torso. The fox felt himself get lifted up, and then he noticed he was getting carried away by Sarah. He tried to attack, but she slammed him into the ground, and pieces of dirt flew up from the impact.

A red echidna got up and looked around for Sarah. The blue Chaos Being felt his presence arise from the air and rushed at him. He didn't have enough time to find where she was, and he got an unexpected tackle by his left. The force may have shattered his bones and sore his muscles, but he wouldn't know when he saw the winds around him getting more violent. Sarah had gripped him by the shirt, pulling him up and blasting Chaos Energy into his face with her eyes. Knuckles' head slowly moved backwards, as he didn't feel that much pain towards the attack, but he did feel the force of the attack that moved his head sideways.

His legs dangled around, before he swung it into her jaw. She instantly let go of the echidna, and stumbled backwards. Knuckles dropped to the ground, contemplating at his ruined shirt. The collar of it had been pulled off from its usual place. He plucked at it, trying to put it back into position, but failed miserably. The Chaos Being recovered from the attack, and glared at him, baring her teeth. Knuckles snorted, mocking her, before she charged at him with full force. It knocked him back, making her smirk. She jutted her arm out, sending a devastating elbow smash into his shoulder. The echidna yelped in pain, before falling onto his knees.

Sarah stood in grace, raising her arm for the finishing blow. An attack that would render him unconscious for at least a few days. Before she could do so, someone tackled her from behind and grabbed her by the clothing. With a spin, she was hurled into the air with unrecognizable force. She stayed there, floating with a false stance. She glared at the attacker, who flew to her level. The flames started to burst again, lighting up Sonic's body with heat. The sweat he had were all getting boiled, so he could literally be seen _fuming_. She tilted her head, smiling to mock him.

"Why?" he asked, intimidating her with one word. Somehow, his jaw had been fixed, and Amy wasn't there. He narrowed his eyes, creating a glare and the blue flames bursted in every movement he made. Sarah stood in the air, trying to taunt him. She felt bad, and she wanted to do the very thing she could to remove that. She wanted to speak to her dad about things and sorts. But she also needed to stand her ground and stay evil. She is, after all, negative Chaos Energy. She had a reputation. "Why can't you just stop the fighting and we can all live in peace?"

"Don't you remember what I _am_? I'm the dispersion of your negative Chaos Energy! I'm _you_! But just a different person. I have your negative ambitions and your whole life's memories..." she paused, "Well, only the ones you could remember." _But why does he have these ambitions? He wants to dominate the whole planet, destroy everything in-and-out and seek the pain from everyone. That's _evil_. I also have his ambition to be the best, go up against the best and live my life in the best possible way. So, it's from both his good side and his dark form's side. _Sarah thought.

_You don't know why I have those ambitions then. My past. You don't know. _Sonic mused, thinking he was speaking to her, but he kept it in. If he gave that word out, it might destroy him and her, and cause suspicion to the others. "You're my negative side's different persona. But you've got some of _my_ goals, remember?" he said, pointing a thumb at himself. His eyes widened for a bit, having a moment of realization. _Wait a minute..._

_'Uh... Sonic are you suspecting that... you had full control of your dark form?' _Helios asked. Sonic was mute, even in his mind. He somehow had a different place for his personal thoughts, and Helios stayed out of it.

_Maybe..._ The hedgehog replied hesitantly. _I... don't know..._

Sarah was silent as well, figuring out her thoughts that all tied into the same thing. If she had both ambitions of the bad and good side of him, and she was made by the bad side, then... they're the same thing. There was no bad or good side. Sonic was actually not that pure. "What..." she began, "...the hell?" _This gives me more of a reason to fight! He's also bad, so if I take him down with me, I'll bring more light to the situation! I have a _reason_! But he's my dad, and he's also siding with the good... Grr, why is this game so complicated?! Why am I acting hero? Is this really how dad feels? _She stared at him with sympathy, then it changed to anger.

The blue flames that engulfed the hedgehog had sprouted, before turning back to normal. He blinked, steam rising from the side of his head. Sarah clenched her fists, ready for blood. Sonic moved his posture into a more better stance, trying to properly get ready for the fight again.

Sarah spoke, "You... You're no pure hero. You're a monster! Just. Like. Me." She tensed up, swinging her arm from one side to the other for effect. Sonic narrowed his eyes, and his fur darkened. "You didn't need the Chaos Emeralds to transform! You had this power all this time! And you're no God!" She pointed at him accusingly. "You're a natural evil in this world!"

_'More like an _avatar_ for the God of despair.' _Helios informed with an angry tone._ 'How'd you keep this from me?'_

_Best you don't know. _Sonic replied coldly, and his fur darkened more. "Sorry, Tails." he mumbled.

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><p><strong>AN: Um... yeah...**

**This chapter was shorter, but it took longer to write for some reason. And I've noticed my keyboard was messing with me and-**


	16. Death in the Family

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong>AN: Alternate chapter name: _End of the Beginning_**

**I'm having trouble believing the summary. Something's not right about it.**

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><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 16<span>**

**_Death in the Family_**

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><p>Tails and Knuckles watched the fight in awe, seeing Sonic become an even match for the Chaos Being. The two swirled in the air, flying to dodge and launching themselves at each other to attack. Each and every movement was full of energy with swishes of dust that sorta happened to be there. They were blurs, ones that can't be differentiated by because they had the same color: blue. The blue blurs had moved at the speed at which both of the bystanders couldn't catch up with. Tails was able to see the world in the speed of sound more than a year ago, and his reaction time now, which was far better, had been outclassed by Sonic's and Sarah's impeccable performance.<p>

The two were at full power, each trying to claim the side of victory. Sarah was in full control of her powers, even using them to help her in this fight. The winds have gotten denser, much harder to get through, while she could control the air around her to lessen and she would get around more easier than Sonic. The blue hedgehog couldn't fully control himself at full power, which is why he isn't using his full capacity. If he did, he would unleash the beast he was, and it would shatter him till he could regain all of his consciousness back.

Sonic and Sarah were neck and neck, going for the win. They had been throwing out all of their most brutal attacks, only for them to not work when the other had dodged. Sarah even tried to take the air out of Sonic's lungs, but he had the better control. He had fought against her mental will and took over the air around him. It was an accomplishment, a feat no doubt. She was the Chaos Emerald that had control of the winds, and he was able to deflect her domain. She was in her element, and he was able to get out of her hold.

Sarah finally got a hit, and slammed her palm into her dad's jaw. A sickening crunch was heard, and Sonic's head jerked backwards, before he regained himself. He flung himself forward, devastatingly head-butting her in the face, and she was pushed back by the damage and clutched her nose. She retaliated with a kick, struck Sonic in the head with the tip of her shoe, and he rolled in the air with the inertia. He twirled in the atmosphere, before making a backwards somersault himself to follow with the force, and he came back with a spin dash. It hit her in the stomach, and she was grazed in the following place.

Sarah was thrown back by the impact, sending her straight into the floating island. Sonic's immediate stop in his attack brought the Chaos Being to move ahead with the force, causing her to drill through the flying giant rock and out below. She shook her head, recovering from the attack, before teleporting. She materialized beside Sonic and struck him in the face with her fist, making him fly off into the air. The surrounding tornado cut him thoroughly, and he was outside, bleeding. He got back into the fight with more power, enough to shatter the tornado and make it stop in one place. There was a tornado, with a line in the middle that was gone from Sonic's interference.

The hedgehog crashed head-on, breaking some of her bones, and he flipped over her, and kicked her in the back of the head. She turned, positioning herself to make an effective kick, and slammed her foot into her dad's back. They were getting more offensive, more aggressive. They were prone to attacking each other, and now it was getting more brutal. They shared the same will to fight, to try and maim the other. They wanted to cut loose and finally fight at their best. There were no restrictions anymore, dirty fighting was allowed.

Both had blood trailing from their lips, both had shown their teeth in an angry tone, both had kept their glare at each other. They had completely forgotten about their father-daughter relationship, and got more into fighting. They focused on it more, Sarah trying to get more planned and creative hits (also trying to find weak spots and holes in his defenses), while Sonic's power grew as his control faded. He might've gotten the upper hand in power, but he also knew that it'd mean nothing if your opponent was a tactician. He learned that from Tails.

The two were in close proximity, shooting off punches and kicks, trying to get a hit. Their speed were matched, helping them dodge and throw out much more better attacks. Thunder boomed as the sound of the shockwaves, which rippled throughout the air. Sonic had his control, but he also had his primal instincts. His lust for blood, hidden back in his younger years. A past best left behind.

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><p>The indigo aura Sonic had rose in height, chanting furiously in the winds. The air around Sarah swirled, creating white tendrils that surrounded her. The two had stayed in the air, keeping their distance. Panting, the hedgehog smirked while regaining his stamina. Sarah, on the other hand, kept her posture, trying to hide any sign of fatigue. She's a Chaos Emerald, yes, but she also had a limit to her energy. Both floated in the air with their stances, waiting for the other's movement.<p>

"Getting tired?!" Sonic asked, tightening his fists. The Chaos Being replied with a straight jab to the face, getting the hedgehog's face to jerk backwards. Sonic retaliated with a kick, but Sarah dodged with a sidestep and struck him in the chest with her knee. Sarah followed the attack with a punch, but Sonic caught it, gripping her fist in his hand and striking her in the face.

"Not ONE BIT!" Sarah yelled, head-butting him with more effort. Blood clashed and sprawled in the air, as the fighters continued their string of merciless attacks. "I won't LOSE!" She struck him in the face with her palm, successfully trailing blood off from his nose. "Especially NOT TO YOU!" She raised both fists up, interlocking both hands together, and smashing it into his skull. The hedgehog recovered from the attack and slammed his fist into her abdomen. "I," She crashed into him with her elbow. "Won't," She kicked him into the air. "LOSE!"

Sonic gritted his teeth, "NEITHER WILL I!" His perseverance and his willpower clouded his thoughts, trying to go further. His black aura danced vigorously in the air, as he brought his hands up. He gathered Chaos Energy above his head, surprising Sarah and snapping her out of her bloodlust state. Yellow energy poured itself into his hands, creating a liquid-looking attack crackling with orange volts of electricity. "**SOLAR BURST!**" he named, and shot the yellow-orange attack at her, which was also heading for the island.

_That's Chaos Energy! But how?! _Sarah glanced at the floating island, before looking back up to Sonic. _No! He's gonna... mom, Tails and Knuckles! _I_ thought _he_ was supposed to save _them_! _She gathered her reserves of power, electricity sparking through her arms and into her palms. She pushed herself to the limit, and threw her arms at it. Having no time to waste, she shot a blue beam of Chaos Energy at it, hitting the core of the attack. Her azure attack was narrower, which puts more pressure into the big ball of orange. "What are you doing!?"

"Finishing you OFF!" Her dad wasn't in control, and shot more energy into his attack, making it slowly get to Sarah. She struggled trying to push it back, even making the winds rupture it. She looked over to Tails and Knuckles, who were running off. "**SAY GOODBYE!**" Sonic's demonic voice shouted, and his pupils slightly faded. His fur darkened, and his aura wrapped itself around him more. Her eyes widened as she saw the incoming attack overpower hers, and she teleported away, much to Sonic's discontent.

The attack struck the floating rock and exploded, creating a spectacular light show in the sky. The remains were dust, which were floating in the air. Nothing was left, and Sonic scowled. He turned to see Sarah with Tails, Knuckles and Amy in her arms, all unconscious. She dropped to the ground, which was just a crater, and laid them on the ground. "I never did this." she said, hoping they wouldn't care how they survived. She flew back up to Sonic, putting on an angry face. "How could you-" she paused and shook her head. "No. What the hell was that?!"

"**What do you mean, my daughter? Don't you know it's impolite to say that to your _real_ father?**" the hedgehog replied, crossing his arms. Sarah stiffened, seeing her real creator. The hedgehog that was filled with negative Chaos Energy. Sonic's Dark Form.

"You're still the same guy!" Sarah shouted.

"**Same? I'm afraid _not_.**" Sonic responded, spreading his arms. "**I am Sonic the Deity. And I will-**"

Sarah interrupted, "You're _not_ a God, dad!" She wiped the blood off her face, and saw a red mark on her gloves. The sight of her own blood made her eyes twitch. "You're still the same, but in less control!" she stated, looking back at him.

"**Foolish. I didn't create you just to be this stupid. I am your real father. Your creator.**" Sonic said. His daughter frowned, and teleported to him. The winds flew past them, and the giant tornado dissipated. "**That inferior you called dad is not me. I am a different person, and I'm your real father.**"**  
><strong>

"Yea, you mentioned that, like, five times already!" Sarah informed, folding her arms. The hedgehog frowned, scoffing. "I wouldn't be surprised if you wouldn't hit your daughter right now. Bet you'd say 'come join me in this quest for destruction', blah, blah, blah. And I'm pretty sure I'd say _no_. I do things on my own terms, and you just outright tried to kill your friends in your first waking moments."

"**You think I want you to join me? Fool. I wouldn't let anyone come by my side. I just wanted to let you know... I am your father, and I work _alone_. I have _no_ friends.**" He dashed at her with newfound speed, and left his fist into her gut. The Chaos Being spat saliva with a mixture of blood, unprepared for this attack. Sarah gritted her teeth, and punched him in the face, only for it to go through an afterimage. "_**So**_** slow... I didn't make you to be that soft. Come on!**"

Sarah picked up the pace, and struck him in upside the head, letting his jaw slacken. She kicked him straight into his chin, shattering something, and she raised her two fists in the air, ready for a follow-up. She slammed her hands into his back, and sent two waves of Chaos Energy into it, sending him flying faster into the ground, and it exploded on impact. Trying to continue, she teleported downwards, watching as the deity got up, and head-butted him. He staggered backwards, before feeling his heel move out. He caught himself, but Sarah slammed her knee into his side, shaking his whole body with energy. "Is _this_ enough?"

"**No.**" He grabbed her leg and lifted it into the air, standing up straight as if unfazed, and let her daughter move around whilst upside down. He hurtled her into rocky ground, and threw her up into the sky. He skyrocketed straight past her, and delivered a stunning blow to the stomach, which halted her in the air. He teleported and appeared behind her. The hedgehog somersaulted backwards, landing a kick onto her head and flinging her back into the dirt. She rebounded off the ground a bit, and before she got any time to recover, Sonic kneed her in the back almost instantaneously. He picked her up by one of her limbs, and gripped it hard enough to break her forearm. A sickening crunch was heard, and then the sound of a girl wailing commenced. He released and watched as his daughter tended to her arm. "**Pitiful.**"

_Shit... I'm done for..._ She thought as she felt her arm numbing. She couldn't move it anymore. And her back was aching like hell. _How am I going to win against this?_

_'You don't.' _Helios' voice rang through her head.

_Wh-What? Who are you? _She narrowed her eyes outside, trying to listen around.

_'I am Helios. Sonic's... god-butler or something. Um, advisor I think.' _Helios pondered. _'I'm going to help you beat the snot out of his Dark form.'_

_My dad has a god-butler? Cool. _Sarah thought, finding out this was a telepathic messgae. She stood up fully, her right arm tending to her left. _'Kay, what's the plan._

_'I don't have one. But I _could_ give you power.'_

_Better than nothing. _Sarah raised her right hand, and a white flash blinded Sonic's eyes.

* * *

><p>"<strong>AUGH! That rascal!<strong>" Sonic screamed in anguish, grasping his closed eyes. Even then, all he could see was the blinding white light. He couldn't escape the burn of a thousand suns in his eyesight. He began to mutter inaudible curses, while Sarah fled the scene. He thrashed around wildly, trying to pinpoint her with his other senses. His smell and hearing were awfully useless for some reason. "**Why do I only hear and smell cold air?**"

_'Nice one.'_ Helios said.

_Thanks. _She replied, flying with the winds._ Now about that power..._

_'Swear to me that you won't use it in any way shape or form of evilness and the likes.'_

She sighed inwardly._ Fine. _She stood onto a mountain miles away from the dark hedgehog. An aura-like flame sparked from her body, and began to whistle in the wind. The orange flames surrounded her, and her eyes lit yellow. Her temperature began to increase, and steam started to fly around her. The air around her became denser, from the heat coming off her. "So, this is the thing my dad used. It failed before, you know." Before Helios could reply, a loud shout rang through their ears.

"**You bitch!**" screamed Sonic, as he darted off into her direction.

_Geez, coming from my dad, that hurt._

_'I wouldn't know.'_

_Just shut up._

_'Like father, like daughter. I guess.'_

_Hey, he's squinting. He's still partly blind. _Sarah thought, and charged at him. She feinted a punch, and darted under him, elbowing him in the stomach. The deity cried in pain, spitting saliva while he did so, and he tried to kick her. She easily dodged it, and grabbed his leg by her right arm. She threw him upwards, before shooting him with burning yellow Chaos Energy. "That's not gonna be enough."

_'You can't beat him like that. You have to revert him back.' _Helios said.

"I _know_!" she replied, but not inwardly. She charged at him in the air, before he completely disappeared, leaving no trace of movement. "Wha-" Sonic reappeared in front of her and made a sloppy kick. She would've dodged it easily, but his surprise attack had caught her off guard. She recovered and teleported, sending her to close the space around Sonic. Sarah appeared behind him, and grappled him by the neck. The hedgehog was going to pry her off, feeling the oxygen in his systems deplete. He also felt the burning sensation from her arm that seared his neck. He elbowed her in the gut, catching her off guard, and turned to face her. She threw a punch, but he dodged and head-butted her by her right temple. She backed away, before shaking her head.

"**The thing you're pulling off is Helios' tricks.**" Sonic stated, "**Heh, you were desperate enough to count on my daughter who was also a villain? You're a joke, Helios! You here me! A joke!**" He looked up at Sarah in the eye. "**And you! Such a disgrace! You needed help to beat me?**" He spat blood at the ground beside him. "**Weak.**"

_'I'll remember that!'_ the god barked.

Sarah pondered at his words for a second, rubbing her temple, and then looking back up at him. "I'm no villain... I'm an _anti_-hero!" she smirked, getting him to growl angrily. The mere thought of that title made her happy. She may not be a real hero, but at least her negative power could shed _some_ light. "And why am _I_ a disgrace, if it's you who got help most of the time we fought? And yes, I needed help to beat you. You know why? Because I'm the one who's-" She teleported in front of him, arching back a fist, before letting it all out. She sent a devastating blow into his face, that caused a giant shockwave to rumbled the place. "-DESPERATE!"

The deity regained control over his body, feeling dazed. He growled again, baring his fangs, before rushing at her. A smoke cloud took the place he bounced off, following him in a trail, before he kicked her in the face, and everything before him shook, following him with the giant wind from his speed. The band that kept her hair into a ponytail burned off, and her hair flopped in the winds. They fell down by the pull of gravity, going over her face. She pushed it to the side, trying to gain back her sight. Blood trickled over her lip, and she wiped it off. "**You're showing defeat?**" he inquired, "**Gaining help won't give you a satisfactory win.**"

"I'm showing _emotion_!" she screamed hostilely, slamming her fist into her gut and continued her relentless assault focused on punching his stomach. Each blow stunned him, making him stagger back, and taking the air out of his lungs. She ended it with a kick, pushing her leg into his side. "I don't _need_ a satisfactory win!"

_'You can't win it like this! You know that!' _Helios exclaimed.

_I know, meddle head! _Sarah retorted, punching her dad in the face. The hedgehog head-butted her, before reeling back, holding his head by the sides. Sarah pushed him off by the air, pressurising the oxygen in his bloodstream. She aimed it at the brain, which wasn't a very good idea. _This won't work... _She realized, blinking as she watched him ignore the agonizing pain in his blood vessels. His veins bulged by the side of his head, while he glared maniacally at her. _He's... a literal god at this point._ She gaped.

"**What's wrong?**" Sonic asked, "**Afraid that I have countered each of your attacks? I may be in pain, _but_,**" he grunted, jerking his head backwards and screaming in agony. "**I AM A DEITY! I WILL NOT LOSE I TELL YOU!**"

_I have to figure out how to bring him back..._

_'That's what I've been telling you!' _Helios responded, _'Gods and I, it feels like _everyone_ is deaf!'_

Can_ it, smartass. _Sarah replied, staggering back in the air. _I'll need to hit him in the head with as much force needed to revert him back to normal._

_'You think that'll work?'_

_You got any other ideas? _Sarah waited for Helios to respond._ Like I thought. _She charged at him and summoned a portion of her Chaos Energy into a kick, which exploded upon impact into his face. The dust waved away, and she punched him in the face with another explosion, which seared his face. Sarah pulled her two fists back, and did a double ax handle, slamming both her glowing hands into his head, which exploded on impact as well. _Well, can ya give me the atom exploding thingy dad used on me? _No response from the god. _Oh, well... _She continued to smash his face in, before she was grabbed by the arms. The deity slammed his forehead into hers. Repeatedly.

"**You want to target my head? HERE!**" He ended it with a full forced head-butt, which cracked her skull a bit. She activated blades of fiery energy at her forearms, her left arm was getting less numb and she was able to move it a bit without apgetting hurt. Pain didn't matter to her anymore, anyway. She swung the two blades at him, trying to get a hit on him, but he backed away, before crashing her forehead with his. Blood dribbled down her face, all coming from the gash she had on her forehead. "**My head is more resilient than yours! Remember that!**"

"Not when I'm getting a headache." she muttered inaudibly. She jabbed at him again with her twin arm blades, but he dodged with expert precision. Sarah kicked at him, but he swerved to the right and spin kicked her at her side. _Damn, I'm dying... _She thought. _It's like a slaughterhouse for me. _She swished her right arm at him, and he ducked under it. She kneed him in the jaw, which ended badly for both of them. Her knee broke from the lack of power she had in it, and Sonic's teeth clashed and sunk deeper into his gums, rendering him useless to eat without hissing at the pain. _I _need_ to hit him in the head!_

_'Or you could create enough drama to snap him out.'_

_That's a ridiculous plan._ She replied. _It might work._ "Dad! Listen to me! You have to get back to us!" Sonic swerved his head to the side, his eyes twitching. _Huh, whaddyou know, it's working. _"Dad! Snap out of it! For Knuckles! For Tails! Amy and me!" she shouted, feeling exhausted. The hedgehog fought in his mind, trying to regain control, and his fur turned lighter and his white eyes turned back to its normal emerald. The aura lessened, and he was almost back. But he was glaring at her for some reason. "Dad! You're-"

"No," Sonic replied instantly, "I'm not back yet." His eyes lingered at the air for a moment, before returning. "**He lost.**" The two stared at each other for a while, till they landed back on the ground. "**I'm surprised you even got to him.**"

_Guess that wasn't enough drama._

She smiled.

_'Uh oh. Wait... OH NO!' _Helios cried.

"Thank you, dad." Sarah said, confusing Sonic. She rammed her energy blade into her stomach. His eyes widened with shock, not even thinking it would happen. Sarah spilled blood from her mouth, and the red liquid seeped through her clothes. Her energy blade cut through her body, dissolving a part of her spine, and out from her back. She pulled it out, and her legs immediately gave out. Destroying her spine had paralyzed her from the waist down. Sonic instantly zapped out of his dark state, and ran over to his daughter. He pulled her up, resting her head on his chest. "Heh, I got you back..."

"Why? Why'd you do this?" he demanded, feeling her blood run over his legs. Sarah chuckled, tears leaking from her closed eyes. She was a Chaos Being. Indestructible, yes, but that doesn't mean she can't get hurt some other way. She hugged him, and Sonic was surprised by this. "Why?" he asked once more.

Sarah smiled through choked sobs. "For _you_. I didn't have any point in life. I was made for destruction..." She breathed in, trying to catch her breath. Sarah was losing blood, fast. Sonic tried to carry her off, but she was too stubborn and continued to cry in pain. "I have no purpose, dad..." Sonic noticed at this moment, that she called her dad instead of creator without a second thought. "I want to be like you. A hero. But I'm... I'm evil all the time. So I did the one thing to keep you alive from m-me."

"You went ahead and killed yourself." Sonic replied, crying as well. His daughter nodded, wincing at the pain. Sonic put her arms around her, cradling her like a baby. He then rocked her in his arms, like he would do to his daughter. Sarah grinned, her last moments were cherishing with her dad. "You didn't have to do this... You didn't have to..." Sonic stated, pulling her more.

"One less problem for you to solve. You'd do it anyway. The only solution... me losing the game." she smiled, "I'll see you later..."

"You weren't a problem." he cried, "You're my daughter." He realized that she meant he was going to see her later in the afterlife he saw. He smiled a bit inwardly, but couldn't do it on the outside. It would hurt him more. She was _dying_.

"I got you back." Sarah murmured, before she completely stopped. Sonic still continued to rock her, tears sprawling out. This was a lose-lose situation. She lost the game... he made her stop _the_ game.

His daughter was dead.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****...**

**Okay, I've noticed that Sarah had red blood. It wasn't intentional, but I found a reason for my mistake to be realistic and intentionally left there. Miles had green blood, because he was a mortal that had Chaos Energy. Sarah had red blood, because she's already a Chaos Being. If she were a mortal, she would have green blood.**

**My Question: Does this mean she doesn't have a soul, since she isn't mortal? That means she couldn't meet her dad in the afterlife, right?**

**My Answer: ...um, uh, look at that! A happy ending! Isn't that beautiful?!**


	17. The One That Controls Fire

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 17<span>**

_**The One That Controls Fire**_

* * *

><p>Sonic locked himself in his room for a month, and the other three were worried about him. They found him mourning over Sarah's dead body, and they couldn't help but feel conflicted as well. Amy felt sad, because Sarah was her 'will be' daughter if she married Sonic afterwards. Tails felt sad, because Sarah was his niece, and the only one he felt that had a real connection with Sonic. Knuckles felt sad, because the others were sad. Sonic was depressed, because he watched his daughter turn good, he saw his daughter kill herself for him, and most of all...<p>

He watched her _die_.

A parent would sacrifice _anything_ for their children. Their beloved. But, he didn't do anything. He just watched her sacrifice herself for the world. The guilt stomped on his chest for the rest of his life, making him feel like every breath was a challenge to take. He couldn't live with himself. The hedgehog hated himself everyday, questioning his lifelong goals, and most of all his morality. His thoughts even. What kind of individual was he?

_'A manifestation of the god of despair, I suppose.' _Helios had said.

_Manifestation my ass. Why me? _Sonic thought in his own part of his consciousness, away from Helios' banter. He developed a different place for his thoughts when he was a child, and he used this thing again when Helios was around. The god hasn't said anything and knew he needed some personal space, so he somewhat left. Sonic was left alone, curled up into a ball in one of the corners in his room. _Why did I turn into that _thing_? I made these creatures, then I killed off my daughter. What is wrong with me?_

He heard a knock on his door, and by reflex, he lifted his head up to glare at it. Sitting there, his eyes had bags under it and he looked darker. His quills weren't as its usual style, it was like he just came out of a week's worth of sleep. His quills were slanted out, and his gloves and sneakers felt like cardboard. He hadn't washed them.

"Sonic? It's been a week."

_Amy... My daughter's mom._ Sonic mused. _She hasn't been worried about me for three years straight. Now, she is. Was it because of Sarah? Everything in life is going well now because of her. And I made her, which means I did this to myself. _He grimaced, not even bothering to answer. _Was there any other way for her to live without this war? She could've just snapped me out... No, I was too far gone, she did that to make both my sides clash together. Something that takes both of our attention. She died to bring me back, also failing her mission._

Sonic's hands crept up to his face.

_I'm a monster._

_**Now, you realize.**_

* * *

><p>"Still no response?" Tails asked, his tone showed worry for his elder brother. Amy silently shook her downed head. The fox eyed the door warily, "Just... Let's just give him some space..." He placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to comfort her. He led Amy out of the hallway and down the stairs, where Knuckles was waiting on the couch. The echidna looked up at him for any news, but the fox solemnly just shook his head.<p>

"I can't believe it." Knuckles contemplated, folding his arms. "We're breaking. Shadow's gone, Rouge is gone, Tikal and Chaos are gone, now Sonic's gone too?"

"He'll recover." Tails replied, trying to reassure himself. The echidna snorted and walked out of the house, trying to get some fresh air. The fox watched as Knuckles opened the door and went out, then glanced at Amy, who was trying to help herself with something in the kitchen. He walked out as well, following Knuckles. The two stood outside, trying to meditate on the upcoming events. "It's gonna be a _long_ decade, huh?"

"Decade?" Knuckles remarked, "Pfft, we might die before the decade ends."

"Yeah..." Tails' eyes lingered over the indigo sky. Knuckles walked over in one direction, and the fox noticed. The echidna then formed a stance in his direction. "Uh..."

"Come on, don't tell me you wouldn't want to train the rest of the year." Knuckles said, getting the fox's attention. Tails turned to face him, and on his face was a challenging smirk. The echidna had his arms crossed, "Oh, so you already made your decision?"

"As a matter of fact," Tails leapt backwards, trying to create some space between him and Knuckles. "Yes, I've made my decision clear." he said, putting on a stance. Knuckles loosened himself, putting his arms by his side. The fox waited for the echidna's move, while his tails swished behind him. Knuckles eyes warily at the fox, before putting on a stance. Tails grinned, "Your move." The echidna rushed forward and made a spin kick, in which the fox had blocked. Tails made a counter, shoving his fist into his face. The echidna was slightly affected by it, but he didn't consider something like that hurting.

"Is that all you could do?" Knuckles taunted, jabbing him in the chest. The fox took the hit, and got thrown back a hundred yards. "Yow! I didn't know I was that strong!"

"You really aren't."

"Huh-" Before Knuckles could turn back, the fox already landed a kick upside his face. Tails had his namesakes spinning, which helped him stay in the air. Knuckles growled at the trick. But he had to say, it was pretty good. It caught him off guard _and_ made a very forceful attack. "Okay, so that's how you'd like to play it." He blocked a punch that Tails gave, and took his arm. He pulled him across the air, and into the ground, but Tails had a better idea and stood his ground. Cracks had been implanted by Tails' feet, and the fox pulled Knuckles over him, using the momentum the echidna used on him. In the end, Knuckles had been sprawled on the ground, one arm grabbed by the fox. "That was good."

"I know." Tails replied, looking smug. He had just defeated Knuckles in hand-to-hand combat! _How cool is that?!_ "You aren't very creative, are you, Knuckles?" he inquired, pulling the echidna back up to his feet.

"I thought you knew me!" Knuckles retorted.

The two shared a laugh, and they noticed, how long it has been since they had _really_ laughed.

* * *

><p>"So, you seek my help?"<p>

Amy sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Vanilla, when I first found out you were a Magic Goddess, I didn't believe." The tall rabbit was mixing something in a bowl, preferably a magic potion or just a simple cake. Vanilla placed the bowl on the table, before looking back at the pink hedgehog. "Now, I think you could help me with something. It's no biggie, unlike the last time."

"Yes, I remember the last time. When I told you that I was the Magic Goddess, you told me that if _I _was the Goddess of Magic, then you know how to fight at Sonic's level. Guess what happened?" she smirked lovingly, getting something from the cabinet by the power of her mind. The thing she got was a tray of cookies, which floated in the air with a pink bubble. "Want one?"

"No thanks." Amy's eyes lingered on the cookies, as if studying them. "It'd be better if they didn't have any unnecessary aftereffects."

"You're learning." Vanilla remarked. "Cream!" she called, and the child came. "Can you help mommy with Amy's problem?"

Cream stared at her best friend, before responding, "Yes, mommy."

Amy's eyes widened, "Wait, did she just read my mind?!"

"Yes." Vanilla answered.

"She could help us in the fight against-" the pink hedgehog was interrupted by the eldest in the room.

"Cream will _not_ do anything with these mindless actions of violence." Vanilla stated sternly. "She is my daughter, as in the Goddess of Magic's _daughter_. She has no place in your quarrels with the Chaos Emeralds." Cream gave a pleading look towards her mother. "No, Cream, for the last time, you can't join them. Now, help mommy by helping Amy with her issues with Sonic."

"Yes, mommy." Cream replied with an annoyed tone. Vanilla giggled at her daughter's tone.

"As you say..." Amy sighed.

* * *

><p>When they got to the house, they found Tails and Knuckles roughhousing each other. Each and every of their punches had rippled the winds and caused great force and drag that pushed them beyond their limits. Knuckles ducked under a swipe, before making an uppercut. Tails had dodged by twisting his body, and then he made an inverted kick that might or might not broken Knuckles' collarbone. The echidna rolled back, moving with the impact, and leapt forward, catching the fox off guard. He double kicked him in the chest, and brought him down.<p>

Cream watched sadly, "I wish I could join you guys. But my mommy said that she would turn me into a frog if I did. Pretty sure it was just a warning shot." she informed, making Amy chuckle. The rabbit wanted to bring up a topic, but she didn't know anything interesting enough to spark Amy's conscience. "You know, Cheese was a great friend, too bad he's off doing some god-lawyer-stuff today."

The pink hedgehog arched a brow, "Really? Wow... That's... That's just..."

"Unbelievable?" Cream finished, smiling

"After everything we've done, I don't think that's the correct word." Amy replied, still awestruck that Cheese was a god-lawyer.

"Actually, I may have exaggerated a little bit," Cream scratched her head, "I don't know what Cheese does when I'm gone. The only hints I was able to pick up was that he comes back looking proud and had that lawyer type of tone. Then he reverts it back to normal and I would never know what he actually does."

"Huh, bummer." Amy frowned, "Hey, let's just continue what we were supposed to do."

"I don't know... I could sense Sonic's presence in there. It's kinda dark and gloomy." Cream crossed her arms. "I've seen what happened, and I'm not surprised. He's depressed that he was the reason Sarah killed herself."

"Wait, my daughter... committed suicide?" she asked, eyes widened. She gaped at the ground, feeling even more remorseful than before. She looked up at Cream, who solemnly nodded. "But, can you still fix Sonic?"

"He's... off. I've never seen him like this my whole life. It's like staring at a stranger I know nothing about. I _should_ have known something, but I really don't know. Sonic's a completely strange person. When I got my powers, Sonic's essence was on the side of good. Right now, he's on the verge of breaking into darkness." the rabbit stated. She stared at the ground, frustrated. "I can't do anything. He's being protected by some kind of higher power."

"The god of despair..." the pink hedgehog muttered softly.

Cream's eyes widened in realization. She didn't know what kind of power was that, but she knew it by the tip of her tongue. And when Amy mentioned it, it became clear to her. All the pieces fixed and the signs were clear. "Yes," she replied, "How'd you know?"

* * *

><p>A year had passed, and the three were trying to improve themselves. Knuckles had moved away from the Master Emerald, and it made him feel better. The weight of the job had really pushed him down. Now that he was free, and his job as Guardian of the Master Emerald was gone, he wasn't stressed as much. Tails had upgraded his gauntlets and who knows what it could do next. Cream helped Amy with her limit in the golden necklace, and they seemed to have gotten onto a newer level of energy. The degree of fighting had increased, and all that was left was Sonic.<p>

Though he stayed in his room, he secretly left it to eat when nobody saw, and went back. The three were befuddled by this, their food stocks had depleted without them noticing, then Tails knew instantly that Sonic had been eating, so he didn't need to worry much for him. He recovered enough to get out of his room and eat, but not enough for them to meet face to face.

The fox was flipping through news channels, trying to find another Chaos Being. He found it useless and went to his computer, trying to find any anomalies. He smirked as he found one, "Do I smell burning?" On his computer, there was a high temperature reading somewhere in the world, but nobody ever reported it. "Hey, guys! I found our next person!"

"Huh? Sonic's son or daughter?" Amy asked, peeking her head out of the kitchen. Knuckles tripped and fell down the stairs, upon hearing the news. He landed on the ground, head first.

"Don't know! But we'll find out soon!" He jumped off the couch, his laptop crashing onto the floor. _Oh, crap... I'll fix it later! _He waved it off and headed towards the workshop. He took the gauntlets and strapped them on, and took the black boots and put them over his sneakers. _Why not? It feels comfortable._ He looked around the desk and found a crotch plate. "I don't think I need that today."

He ran away, and got into the newly rebuilt Tornado, now powered by... uh... whatever Tails found with his IQ of 300. He strapped on the belt, and readied himself to fly. He waited there, tapping his finger impatiently on the steering controls, before unbuckling and rushing out of the plane. (He forgot to turn it on.) He went over to the control panel in his workshop that was connected to the plane, ripped off some of the cables, and pressed a button that wirelessly turned on the biplane and made the propeller spin. Amy and Knuckles jumped into the backseats, just like how they would if they got into a taxi. Tails ran and jumped into the pilot seat, and prepared to fly.

"Wait, should we get Sonic?" the fox asked, turning back to get their answer.

"Uh... I say no." Knuckles replied.

Amy stared out the biplane for a second, before shaking her head. "Let's give him a break."

"_Okay_!" Tails said as he prepared the new Tornado to fly out of the garage.

* * *

><p>After flying for half an hour, just casually looking around, they spotted the red Chaos Being blazing with flames. He was just like his sister, except he had shaggy spikes on his head, and a flaming aura surrounded him. He had the same black garbs her sister had, except this one was fireproof. He had red everything, sometimes orange, sometimes vermillion. He noticed the incoming biplane and floated to the ground. The Tornado did the same, and the three got out.<p>

"Okay, son, who are you?" Amy inquired, looking the red Chaos Being up and down.

"I am Nate, the red Chaos Emerald!" the fiery Chaos Being said, putting a fist in front of him for effect. He straightened his posture, and crossed his arms. His fiery red eyes scanned each and every one of them, which were only three... "And I will fight all of you one by one."

"That's... unusually unfair." Amy muttered, planting the hammer down in front of her.

"Well, he has honor." the fox remarked, crossing his arms. _Why one-on-one? Is one of us that good already? _He looked at the other two for a decision. "Who's first?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, this is for the Chapter 16... **_(Picks up a piece of paper and puts on a pair of glasses.)_** ...ahem... ****_Tearjerker_****.**

**Anyway! Nate is actually... _lame_ in my view. He's _dull_. Fire, yea that's cool. But... let's see the other candidates that had used fire so far in the story: **_Helios, Sonic, Sarah... _**Yep, and all of them are connected. They possess a relation with Sonic. And so did Nate. And with that, he's not really a favorite for me. I'm going to... I dunno, get him another power.**

****So, yeah... it's not over yet!****

_Silver Status: Four  
>Project Nightmare: Inactive<br>Project Anti-Shadow: Hiding  
>Divine Warriors: Not Gathered<br>Galaxy Emeralds: Thrown Away Into Another Universe_ (How does _that_ happen?)  
><em>Gods Statuses: Relieved<br>End of All Things: In Another Timeline_

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><p>"I don't believe it."<p>

"Believe it, Lancelot." Shade replied to the Ultimate Life Form in shining armor. She found him in one of the bases she and Rouge found earlier that year. A clone of Shadow the Hedgehog, just like her. "When Rouge told me that we had to look through the past bases we've already looked through, I couldn't believe it. But now, a space station? Hah! More believable than to tell me there was still some intel in rubbish!"

"Just how many bases does the doctor have?!" Another Ultimate Life Form asked. He was just recently found, shown by his lack of knowledge. What's different with him was that everything red on him, was yellow. He was a Shadow Android, but something along the lines of a failed clone. Nonetheless, he was still one of the Ultimate Life Forms in Shade's book. "I mean, how many have you gone through already?"

Shade snorted, "I've been doing this for three years, so... is that enough for you?" The yellow-black hedgehog was speechless.

Suddenly, the door in front of them made a 'ding' sound, and it opened. The three walked out of the elevator, staring in awe at the hedgehog in front of them.

Its metal skin shown that it was fully robotic, with red plates covering the parts where it was supposed to be red. Its eyes were fully open, which showed a black inky void with red glowing pupils, glaring through them. The knight raised his sword to prepare himself, but the woman in the group put her arm in front of him, signalling him to back down. The robot's metal claws gripped the arms of its throne, ripping apart the chair's armrests. The robotic Shadow jumped from sitting to standing, appearing hostile. Its boots were purely gray, so were his hands. It showed that he was a real android, unlike the Shadow Android in front of it, who was a cyborg. It had no shoes, no gloves, and it had a fake patch of white fur on its chest, which just stranges the three.

Shade turned her head to face the Shadow Android. "Droid-"

"I'm a _cyborg_! And I have a name you know! It's Cyber." the Shadow Android corrected harshly.

The female Ultimate Life Form rolled her eyes, "Okay, _Cyber_... You think you could hack into its mainframe and change its processing core, or the thoughts and ambitions of that android?"

Cyber raised his forearm, showing a robotic gauntlet where the yellow rings are supposed to be. "You seriously have to learn more about how robots work..." he remarked, tapping on the glove and a hologram popped up. "I'm on it!"

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><p><strong>AN: A-HA! As I suspected...**

**...more Shadows—no, wait, cross that out—Ultimate Life Forms. Crap, I just realized there _already_ was a Shade... Shade the _Echidna_. Nevermind, just roll with this one.**

_On a completely unrelated note:_

**ONLY I KNOW HOW THE STORY GOES! MUAHAHAHAHA—**_(gets struck by sun's lightning)_**—...dafuq?**


	18. The Flames Diverge

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 18<span>**

_**The Flames Diverge**_

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><p>"I vote for Tails," said Knuckles.<p>

Amy nodded in assent, "Yeah, I say you go first as well."

Tails cracked his knuckles. "Well, then." he began, smiling at Nate. "Shall we begin?" The taunt brought both titans into a standoff, in the middle of the same crater the fox had fought Sarah in. _Huh, what a coincidence._ He thought, crouching as he assumed a stance. The fiery Chaos Being did the same, putting on a stance to ready himself. The fox's gauntlets lighted up in the same sky-blue color it had, bringing a grin on Tails' face. "I repeat, we ready?"

"Yes." Nate answered. The fox's reply was a leap, closing the distance between them, and made a high kick for the head. Nate blocked it easily, and Tails kept smiling at how easy it looked for him. The fiery Chaos Emerald retaliated, sending his fist flying into his face. Tails dodged, and kicked off the ground, making cracks on it. He flipped, catching himself and throwing himself back into the air. The fox landed gracefully, arching back a fist. Nate smiled as he charged at him, making a sweep kick. Tails' gauntlet glowed, before he swung it at Nate's face, causing a forceful explosion. The Chaos Being was hurled a hundred yards away, before planting his feet on the ground that created dirt trails. He looked back up, asking, "What was that?"

"Something I made." the fox replied, placing one hand on the gauntlet, as if he was charging it with his own physical energy. "I don't think you'd understand the physics of positive kinetic gravitational acceleration and negative drag correspondence, do you?" he inquired, wanting to know how smart the Chaos Beings are. Nate was crouching, exercising his legs. He definitely had Sonic's physique. Tails charged at him, aiming his gauntlet at him and firing a titanium cable with a grappling hook. He wanted to try something out. Nate caught it in midair, causing the fox to pause in his actions. He pulled the cable, which didn't budge from Nate's grasp, so... a white whiplash of energy emitted from the gauntlet and ran through the cable into Nate's hand, shocking him. Tails used this time to make an attack, so he jumped and made an inverted kick, which jerked Nate's head in that direction.

The Chaos Being was unresponsive, which Tails found weird. He was caught off guard, and a fist was sent flying into his face. Blood spluttered from his mouth from that one attack, and the grappling hook in Nate's hand crumpled, before he melted it and let it fall to the ground. Tails spun his namesakes, making the ultimate organic chainsaw or propeller. He cut the high-tensile cable with amazing prowess and dashed at Nate, who charged at him. He kicked him in the head, but the Chaos Being vanished almost instantaneously, causing Tails to twist his body and look back. Nate kneed him in the face, red liquid streaming from the fox's nose.

Tails growled, his sense of smell had been filled with the smell of some kind of metal. He stumbled forward, launching a punch, but Nate caught it and put his arm in a deadly hold where he could easily break it. The fox's eyes in panic, then narrowed widened to focus, but it was all blurry due to his brain getting racked. He head-butted Nate, his favorite move which could possibly cause brain damage to the user, and swiped his knee against Nate's leg, crumpling him backwards. The Chaos Being gritted his teeth and swung his arm like a backhand, bruising the fox's leg. Tails staggered backwards, gripping his leg, before giving a forceful kick with his other limb, which Nate ducked under.

The Chaos Being grabbed the outstretched leg and pulled it towards him, before making a jab at the fox's face. To Tails, it was an uppercut, but to others he was floating sideways, parallel to the ground, making an easy jab. The fox recovered and flipped onto the ground with what little space he had. (between the height of a Mobian and the floor) Nate twisted his body correctly to execute a spin kick, to which Tails had dodged by leaning backwards. "Tired already?" the fox taunted cockily.

"Tired? No, I'm just getting started." replied Nate, who shoulder charged at him with tremendous speed. The impact bounced Tails off of him and got the fox to fly about a hundred feet before face planting into the dirt. Tails flipped over, nearly missing a blast of orange fire, and he got back into the fight. Nate sped through the air, instantly appearing in front of Tails and kneeing him in the stomach. The impact made the fox spit blood, before he swung his namesakes at him. Nate blocked each and every hit from his twin tails, but the fox was getting faster, almost harder for him to keep up. The fox made a smashing kick into the Chaos Being's stomach, before backhanding him with his left and punching him in the face with his right. He twirled his tails and zoomed up, doing a double kick that sent two blows across the chin.

Tails spiralled around, kicking him in the back of the head before using his other leg to make an inverted kick. He finished off the combination with his two fists, smashing them against the Chaos Being's neck. The attack might've shattered his collarbone or his neck, which would be devastating. Nate retaliated with a burning fist, narrowly striking him in the face. If Tails hadn't moved with his instincts, which he rarely did, he would've been burned. The fox used his gauntlets and boots to block each fiery hit. Every attack was engulfed with orange flames, that dispersed with every hit. Tails had to be careful, or he'll get scorched just because his body wasn't as tough enough to handle it. The fox momentarily tried to make an attack, which ended up badly because he seared his white gloves off.

Tails blocked every strike with his gauntlet, which was burning up with every second. Nate ended his spree by slamming both arms against each gauntlet, and his strength made Tails' shoes dig the dirt. Pieces of dirt broke, and gave way for Tails to get pushed by the Chaos Being. The fox pushed his metal gloves against his arms, trying to compensate his ground. "Not one for talk, are you?" he asked, getting a snort from Nate. Tails kicked at his legs with his new armored boots, and flet his sneakers melt. _My feet!_ He thought, eyes widening. He pushed apart the Chaos Being's arms and punched him a couple times, his fists feeling heat emanating from Nate's body. He felt jolts of fire in his hands, the sensation made it feel cold because it was over his limited senses. He swung his legs around, kicking him while at the same time using the cool air to fan it manually.

Nate blocked each and countered by grabbing his gauntlet. "Is that all?" he asked, forcing energy into his hand, melting the gauntlet a bit. Tails' arm and hand were getting burned with the conductive metal, and he needed to slip out of it. He retracted his arm out, his fur all black like ashes, and spun around to gain momentum. He slammed his other gauntlet into Nate's head, getting him to let go of the gauntlet. Tails glanced at it, knowing the mechanics in it are broken. He kicked the melted gauntlet up with his shoe and smashed it with his still gauntlet, aiming it at Nate. The Chaos Being shot a column of _blue_ fire at it, melting it with ease. Smoke rose from the red heated metal, and Tails used his only gauntlet, on his right, to its maximum.

It lit up with white light, before it sparked. _Short circuited. Damn..._ Tails thought, resorting to his new shoes. Those lit up with blue light, and the fox depended on his kicks to help him in this fight. He already knew he would lose, so why even bother? He can't win, but he might learn a few things. The fox made a jump kick, and Nate blocked it with both hands. Tails used his namesakes to fly and spin kicked Nate's head, but the Chaos Being ducked and vanished. Tails' eyes widened with fear. The fox looked around frantically, before getting punched in the back. The heat seared his skin and he cried in pain, before rolling away. Smoke got into the air, and Tails huffed to catch his breath.

The melted metal had cooled, showing just a splatter of the hardest metal in the world. The fox grabbed it and used it as a discus. He twirled before throwing it with his right hand, and it dented Nate's skull. "Gods damn it." he said, rubbing his temple. He charged at the fox angrily and kicked him in the head, burning him. The fox violently swerved away, not liking the experience of getting burned any further. The metal discus was just a few feet away from him, so he jumped for it. Tails took hold of the plate and threw it at the Chaos Being, who vanished and reappeared in the same position, using Chaos Control to teleport him around the world and missing the attack. "Won't catch me using the same attack twice."

"Yeah..." Tails said as he waited, glaring at his nephew and panting. Nate stared at his eyes, which suddenly darted to the right and back onto him. He turned and before he knew it—_BAM!_—he got struck in the face with the same metal disc. Knuckles had his arm outstretched, a smile crept onto his face. Amy was nowhere to be seen and Nate shot fire at the red echidna.

Turns out, that was an afterimage. The real one tackled him from behind and rammed his fists into the Chaos Being's face. Tails smiled and looked at his side, seeing the pink hedgehog slowly appear. It was like she was deactivating some kind of invisibility spell. Her golden necklace shone gold, and Tails felt his body lighten. "Heh, thanks." the fox said in response.

Amy grinned, "No problem." She took hold of his arm and made a new gauntlet for him.

"How did you-" he paused, rethinking his question. "Is this the same metal?"

"I dunno." Amy replied nonchalantly. "It's temporary."

Knuckles' body flew between them, crashing into the ground. The two focused on the main priority, seeing Nate wipe blood off his mouth. "Come on." he growled, daunting the two. Amy vanished and reappeared in front of Nate, throwing a hammer at him. The Chaos Being caught it and smirked. "Is that i-"

BOOM!

Amy flipped, using magic to teleport herself around. Nate swiped angrily at his mom, but she was too fast and dodged each of them. He brought his fist down to punch her in the head, but she jumped and vanished. She reappeared on top of him, landing safely with Nate as her landing pad. Well, not all safely. Her feet felt the sensation of burns and she hopped off, teleporting away. She reappeared beside Tails, hammer in one of her hands. When Nate got up, she threw it at him and it disappeared once it got into range. Before Nate could ask what the heck happened, the hammer struck him in the back, exploding and flinging him forward. Amy disappeared again, materializing a hundred feet in the air, another hammer raised. She fell with increasing speed, before she whacked the hammer down his skull. A huge crater formed by the impact, and yellow columns of light sprouted from the ground from the sheer intensity.

The Chaos Being teleported, surprising Amy. She turned swiftly, only to see fire in her sights. She teleported at the last second, catching her breath. "Whew. That was-" Nate punched her in the face, interrupting her speech. Mad that she was cut off, she launched herself at him and disappeared. Nate looked around only to see her completely gone.

"Huh." Both Nate and Tails gaped.

Amy reappeared with a hammer raised, smashing it down into Nate's head. She was going to continue, but her hammer went up in flames. She threw it, the grip not touching with the fire yet, and it exploded in Nate's face. The Chaos Being's eyes fired up, and he shot flames at the pink hedgehog. Amy put her arms out to block, yellow shields protected her from the heat. She walked, pushing through the flames, before crashing into Nate, who teleported and kicked her from behind. Amy fell forwards a hundred feet, the punt was as forceful as ever. Just as she was about to hit the ground, she teleported away. Nate turned and put his hand out, and coincidently, Amy's yellow shield collided with his hand, before it burned with orange. Amy took a hammer out of nowhere and smacked it against Nate, but he wasn't relenting. He pushed it away and spin kicked her by the waist.

Knuckles intervened and took hold of him from behind. He was the still Guardian of the Master Emerald, since he hasn't given someone else the title, nor has anyone expelled it. Nate grasped at Knuckles' arms, which just burned him a bit like hot water running through his skin. Nate staggered backwards, before falling harshly, letting the ground decide whether Knuckles lets go. The echidna felt the small pieces of dirt getting squashed underneath his skin. He released the hold and kneed him in the back, getting the Chaos Being to roll over. When Nate thought there were no more to oppose him, he was shunned by a metal shield striking the ground in front of his face.

"Crap!" Tails cried, "_So_ close!"

Nate pulled it from the ground and spun, before throwing it with the momentum and acceleration increased. The plate hit the fox in the chest, sniffing the air out of his lungs, and shooting him far away. Before he got that far, Nate shot a blast of hot Chaos Energy, which exploded upon impact. Luckily, Tails used the shield. No attack had damaged Nate that much, and since he hasn't gotten much speaking lines nor any good moments, he surely won't be remembered. So, he started monologuing. "Ah, how nice that all three of you were still no match for me."

"HIYAAAH!"

Nate grabbed the hammer, and the white forceful shockwave that had been emitted shook the grounds. Knuckles got up and tried to tackle him, but Nate shot Chaos Energy with his other arm. "See? You're all outclassed." he responded, kneeing Amy in the chin and then using the same hammer at her. The pink hedgehog raised her arm fast enough to halt the hammer's movement, which bedazzled Nate. "Magic... how annoying." he remarked, punching her instead. She recovered from the attack and kicked him by the side of his knee, hoping for him to crumple forward, but instead she burned her trouser leg and her... leg. Amy made a shield and limped forwards, using the yellow bubble for defense. Nate simply backhanded it and it shattered.

Amy teleported, but before that happened, the Chaos Being grabbed her hand. The two hopped through space, and not time, because it's teleportation not time travel. The two ended up halfway across the world, and landed head first into the sea. Nate's fiery aura was extinguished, but Amy had the yellow bubble-shield around her to keep living. He glared at her, before teleporting back.

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><p>Tails got back, flying with the shield in hand, when suddenly, a red blur smashed into him and they spiralled down into the ground. The Chaos Being teleported at the last second, leaving the fox to continue falling straight into the dirt. Knuckles heard the explosion, and went to follow, but he felt something hot grab his leg. "Holy shi-" he stopped and kicked Nate with his other leg, but that was blocked. "I'm getting thrown, aren't I?"<p>

"Indubitably." he replied, before gripping Knuckles' leg with his two hands and spinning around. A fire tornado was created, and Nate swung him out of it. The echidna's body had been completely covered with flames. He rolled into the ground, ceasing the fire to prolong its spread. He patted away some small flames that didn't really do much but annoy him. His oven mitts were slightly tattered, but there were ashes on it.

The smoke that had risen was enough to cloud a city to death. But it had risen because due to physics, heat rises. Nate watched the gray clouds swirl over their heads, before Amy tackled him from '_who_ knows where', and teleported him deep into the ocean. Mad, he flew out, fires sprouting from his skin and water evaporating around him. He resurfaced, with a huge water bubble following him, before it exploded into steam and he was free. He blasted off into a certain direction and teleported, using the inertia to strike whoever was unlucky enough to be chosen.

Tails? Amy? Knuckles?

He smashed into a shield, signifying it was the two-tailed fox, and dented the piece of metal. Tails jerked the metal bowl forward and used his gauntlet to swing it at him, smashing his nose. Nate cried out in pain, blood sprawling from his face, before kicking Tails in the head. "You son of a bitch!" he cursed, muffled by his hands. The fox got back up and put on a weary fighting stance. Nate removed his hands from his nose. "You can't stay up for another round, can you?"

The fox's stance hardened, and he struck Nate with his boot. "Actually, I _can_."

"Well, good for you!" Nate smirked, before head-butting him. The fox was knocked down, eyes rolling back, unconscious. He turned to see his mom with a hammer and Knuckles still catching his breath. He used his index and middle fingers and motioned them to come forth. Amy charged and swung her hammer at him. The Chaos Being dodged with a speedy sidestep, before mocking her. "Come on, _ma_! This the best you can do?!"

"No, you son of a speedy bastard." she retorted, dashing at him. She teleported several times, boosting herself further, before punching him in the face with her yellow barrier. Nate was then teleported back into an ocean. She turned and had to heal Tails twice in a row. The fox woke up and pushed her away, and a fireball suddenly came in between them. "Nice reflexes." she remarked, getting a smile from Tails.

"Thanks." he replied. Knuckles walked to their side, patting his dirty gloves. Nate had returned from his triple sea adventure, steam rising from him.

"Remember when I said we'd fight one on one?" Nate growled, glaring at the three. The fox, hedgehog and echidna all put on defensive stances in order to ready themselves. The Chaos Being smirked, relishing the battle. He narrowed his eyes with that arrogant smile, "I have a solution for this team fight."

Tails repeated, "Solution?"

"Yes! A solution!" a voice boomed from their right, and to their horror, there was another Chaos Being identical to Nate. He had the fiery red and orange aura glimmering with him, and the same smirk implanted on his face.

Then to their left, "Even in a team battle, you'll lose to us... and when I say us, I mean the three of me!" the third Nate exclaimed, raising his arms and his aura chanted furiously in the air. Both of the red Chaos Beings hopped over to the middle one, Tails' front, and they stood side-by-side one another, changing color. The left was yellow, the middle was red, and the right was orange. Tails gritted his teeth and stiffened his stance, while Amy and Knuckles gaped at them.

Three red Chaos Emeralds...

A lone sweatdrop rolled over Knuckles' face, "We're doomed, aren't we?"

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><p><span><em>An undescribable amount of time later...<em>

Sonic clutched his head, feeling ominous. _Helios... Hey, Helios, can ya hear me?!_ He scowled, looking pissed.

_'No, I can't hear you!' _Helios retorted,_ 'My ears have gone deaf because you practically shouted at a guy who is—sometimes—in your head.'_

_Well, too bad. But I need to know... is Nate released already?_

_'Hm? How'd you know his name?'_

_Just tell me! Is Nate released already?_

_'Yes, or else I wouldn't know about the red Chaos Emerald that's fighting your friends.'_

_Great. I was almost able to gather the energy of a Chaos Emerald. Nothing else. _Sonic replied, unknowingly reaching a 'Power Generator' which Shade also had.

_'You're an avatar of the real God of Despair.'_ Helios informed._ 'And it's pretty impressive that you were able to tap into power that only _he_ could use. Hey, maybe we could bring it to our advantage. Try to remember what happened.'_

Sonic remembered that power. The power he hated.

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><p><em>"Darkness... D<em>_estruction... __Your demise... __Despair, hopelessness. __My dark form. __Ultimate power. Sadness, grief, remorse, repent, regret, hate. Kill. Death..."_

_"**...Maurice.**"_

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><p>Sonic watched as the black aura around him danced in the air. His fur darkened, but his emerald eyes were still there. Just grimmer and colder. The spikes of his body lifted upright, as if demanded by the dead silent aura. His fists clenched, and his body rose. Flying. He stayed aloft, eyes glaring. He bared his fangs, power surging through his veins. The power of a monster. He stayed like that, consumed by the darkness, before his eyes lightened up to white. The beast was back, and deadlier than ever.<p>

"**Now...**" Sonic grunted as he clutched his head. "**I'm in...** control."

_'Uh... You're doing great. I guess.' _Helios said.

He balled a fist, "I just have to get used to this." His mind has been clouded with the dark, so he had to mutter his thoughts softly in order to hear himself. Even Helios ignored his thoughts and concentrated on the words he spoke. He raised his hands and saw the jet black aura slowly morph into the air. "This is... _incredible_."

_'Well, we have to get there quickly.'_

Sonic smirked, "**Chaos Control.**"

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><p><strong>AN: For Tails' science talk, I basically just mashed words together. So, if you want an A on your Physics paper, don't follow this. Except for the fact heat rises. That one was true. **_(Shrugs) _**I guess...?**

**Words that I make bold could be technique names in usage. So, Sonic could just be saying Chaos Control in his normal voice or demonic voice. Either way, that scene happened _some_ time after the fight scene, so he could very well waltz into a scenario where all his friends are dead.**

**...**

**...I wrote too much, didn't I? Quick! I still have time to edit before-**


	19. Nate's Confrontation: Act 2

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong>AN: Writing chapter 20 held me back... a lot. I already had this prepared with chapter 18, but _nnoooo_—chapter 20 decided to be a bitch to make. Also, while making chapter 20, I was already focusing on the other four chapters after it (21-24), because I lost motivation in 20.**

**Which, as all of you might know, means 'Writer's Block'.**

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><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 19<span>**

**_Nate's Confrontation: Act 2_**

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><p><em><span>Earlier...<span>_

"Three on three sounds fair, right?" the three Nates asked in unison.

Knuckles spluttered, "Shit..."

"Okay, I take the red one, and you two take the ones parallel to you." Tails ordered.

Amy sighed, rolling her eyes. "What a_ great_ plan. We just charge into our deaths."

Knuckles dashed at the one on the right, the orange one, and Amy teleported in front of the yellow one, the left. Tails charged at the red one, who was in the middle, and the three dispatched. Knuckles and Orange Nate had literally thrown themselves around. Amy and Yellow Nate had teleported into the air, explosions trailing in the wake of their battle. Tails and Red Nate were fighting a one-on-one match while moving around.

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><p>The two were at even odds, but Tails knew Nate was holding back. They threw out a combination of punches and kicks, all precise to damage the other severely, but they had to change it often because they had to dodge the other's attacks. Tails kicked at Nate, but he leaned back and planted his hands into the ground having himself the opportunity to double kick the fox. Tails darted to the right, missing the crippling blow, and spun around and made a kick to Nate's chest. The Chaos Being played limbo with it and went even lower, before standing back up. He swung his leg, headed for the fox's abdomen, but Tails picked himself away and flipped his body over, standing back up.<p>

The two charged again, both had their fists arched. They sent out the devastating blow at once, striking themselves in the face. The weird thing Tails found out was that Nate didn't give out any heat. He didn't care much for it and followed up a kick, blocked easily by the Chaos Being. "Let me use a famous quote..." started Nate, "What breaks first? Your soul or your body?"

He caught a punch that was aimed for his head and retaliated with a knee to the gut. Red liquid spilled as the fox was doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain. He staggered backwards, an arm wrapped around his waist. Nate smirked, raising a fiery fist, and flames suddenly sprouted around his hand. The air began to heat up, and the oxygen particles had burned into tiny orange dots. The fox regained his composure, standing upright. Nate scowled.

"Neither." Tails answered, blood leaking from his mouth.

Nate narrowed his eyes, "Wrong." Chaos Energy rippled through his fingers, before blades of death grew onto them like they were his fingernails.

Tails tapped his gauntlet, sliding a blue knife down into his hand. He has been using this compact laser knife for some time, and now he was going to use it for combat. He gripped the handle, sweat pouring on his face. His tattered white gloves could be seen through the partially melted gauntlets. He _really_ felt like a soldier, using knives in a melee battle, which you pull out from cool compartments. In his left hand, he held the metal discus, which was slightly curved in the middle. Nate charged at him, blades of Chaos Energy rested at his fingertips. The fox dodged and used his weapon to slice energy, and it did just that. The laser knife had been made to cut through at a microscopic level, and it's just sharp light. Hey, it looks like a mini lightsaber! Tails didn't use the weapon to cut, instead he used the weapon to block.

Nate swiped at the fox, who moved at supersonic speeds and deflected each attack of with either the gauntlets, the disk, or the dagger. Tails flipped backwards, his tails slapping Nate in the face, before tapping his heels together. White blasts of energy shot through the fox's boots, helping him charge forward with more speed. He used his right gauntlet to slam into Nate, and the knife in his right hand had been pointed the same way his gauntlet was. His boots faltered, signalling Tails it was done, so he raised the gauntlet away and kicked Nate in the chest, and using his other leg to smash into the Chaos Being's chin. The fox caught himself in a handstand, which was more harder with the knife and shield in his hands. He flung the disc at him, in order to remove _something_ from his grip. Nate caught it and flung it back with even more force, cutting the ground Tails was on.

The fox stayed in his handstand, walking forwards and using his tails to attack. Just like before, it was a complicated attack formation, but also unpredictable. Nate blocked the strikes and jabs, before resorting to dodging because it was much more better. Speed, just like Sonic. Tails swiped at Nate's legs, successfully tripping him and gaining his attention. The split second he looked down, he was smacked across the face by the fox's strong tails. Nate grabbed one of the two, and jerked him forwards, causing great pain to Tails' backside. After all, they _are_ connected to his spine. The fox kicked, slamming a powerful right into the Chaos Being's neck, doing little damage. Nate's eyes glinted, and on instinct, Tails twisted his body backwards to dodge an energy beam. The fox could feel Nate's grip on him getting stronger, and warmer.

_Crap! He's heating up!_ He mused, frantically trying to get away. Smoke flowed out from the fox's tail, bringing panic to his face. Nate took hold of one of his arms, and Tails' thoughts darkened. Nate raised his body over his head, and the fox knew what kind of move this is. Tails swung his legs around trying to get out and wriggle himself free. He jabbed the knife with his free hand into Nate's elbow, but it did nothing. The Chaos Being had some defense or something. He glanced down and saw the Chaos Being readying his knee backwards. He gulped in fear. In a sudden and swift motion...

CRUNCH!

His body broke.

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><p>Amy used her yellow shield to block Nate's attacks. But each one created spiderweb cracks that kept lengthening, and her shield would become weak. The last fiery hit sent all the cracks apart, while Amy stayed there, unfazed. Nate went for a kick, but she vanished and reappeared behind him, kicking the Chaos Being by the head. Nate fell sideways, before he took her leg with his arm and threw her at the ground. With the altitude, it took a few seconds before Amy got to terminal velocity, and it would take a few more milliseconds for her to reach the ground. Before she reached the ground, an inch from it to be precise, a crater was already made by the force she was giving, but she teleported. Nate looked around, but he was too late. She struck him with a devastating head-butt, breaking both of them. Well, Amy less because she got her yellow bubble shield up in time.<p>

The pink hedgehog swung her arms back, before sending them out, swinging a pair of chains at the Chaos Being. Dazed, he stayed and got himself in a hold from steel ropes. Getting back up, he noticed the metal chains and started to melt them easily. Amy twirled in the air, motioning the chains to wrap around him. Every inch of his body was covered with the melting steel, before a red sphere developed around him. And in no time, the chains exploded forward, before dispersing into nothingness, leaving nothing but Nate in the red sphere. "Any more tricks?" he asked.

Amy cracked her neck, trying to look intimidating. "Yes," she answered as she raised her hands, cold winds coming into one ball. The temperature lowered, and ice began to form in the clouds. She twirled her right hand, and the clouds morphed together directing themselves at the wind sphere. She took the cold icy ball with both arms now, before hurling it at the Chaos Being. Nate smirked, firing up flames in his arms, before shooting at the white ball of snow. The flames easily melted it, turning it into steam. Gray clouds were made again, and Amy used this. She turned the clouds into water, and signalled for it to fly at Nate. The red Chaos Emerald made a red sphere, like a bubble shield, and the heat emanating from it evaporated the water. "Huh..." Amy said, trying to make sure she was seeing things correctly. "Water or ice isn't going to do much against you."

"Of course." Nate replied.

"But what about sound?" Amy asked.

The Chaos Being contemplated at her words, crossing his arms. "I do not know." The pink hedgehog looked at her hand, and what appeared there was Tails' sound cannon, used against Sarah last year. She aimed it at the Chaos Being, and pulled the trigger. A wave of vibrations in the air shook Nate, but he stayed still, trying to look like it did nothing. He could block out the noise of the attack, just like Sarah. The sound cannon stopped, and its energy had been depleted. "Hah! Is that it?" he shouted, while Amy looked for another way of attack. She pulled a hammer out of thin air and swung it at him, which he dodged, knowing that if he caught it, it would explode. The hammer did a curve, and flew straight for Nate. Before it hit, he vanished, and the ripples of wind from his disappearance caused it to explode. "That attack won't work!" Nate charged at the pink hedgehog, who gritted her teeth and tried to outrun him.

Amy teleported once again, moving away from the Chaos Being. Nate had his superior speed, and dashed straight for her. Moving at the speed of an instant, Amy teleported in front of the Chaos Being and created her yellow shield around her. Nate crashed head-on, before bouncing off of it. Amy waved her arms together, and a portal was created where Nate would land. The Chaos Being recovered from the bounce, before glancing at the portal. In it was... infinite space. Sucking in the air, pulling the Chaos Being towards it. Clouds have been pulled forcefully, not a single one in the proximity could be seen. Amy's clothes fluttered in the wind, while she tried her best to stay still. Nate teleported from place to place, but the pink hedgehog intercepted him and took him closer to the portal. Both were just at the brink of getting sucked into the vacuum of space, before Nate teleported them halfway across the world.

Ending up in the city, Amy's first thought was to bring them away from the place before destruction occurs. Using magic constantly had been tiring, and she needed to recover. Both stood in the middle of the streets, panting. People have been yelling them to get out of the way, before Nate shot flames at the drivers. Tired, the pink hedgehog ran up to the Chaos Being and held him down. The only thing she could so was wait till she had enough energy to teleport. Unless...

A white light covered them, and they teleported back to the battleground. Cream smirked at what she had done.

* * *

><p>"What the hell?" Nate pushed his mother off, before Amy struck him with her boot. The attack caught him off guard and made him stumble backwards, before falling down.<p>

_Thanks, Cream. _Amy thought, standing her ground. She recovered enough energy and a hammer appeared in her hand. She flung it at the Chaos Being, which exploded upon impact, spraying clouds of smoke everywhere. She continued her attack by raising her arms. By this motion, white tendrils sprouted from the ground and cracks started to appear on the floor. They started to swirl into the sky, as clouds reformed again. They became gray, dense by coming together, as yellow lightning arced in it. Nate got back up, eyes burning, before he looked up at the sky. "**Thunder Strike!**" she shouted, and a giant white bolt of searing energy crashed into the ground in front of her, where Nate was.

KRA-KABOOM!

The Chaos Being was struck by lightning, which had increased efficiency by at least tenfold with Amy's magic. His figure was just a black shadow in the giant white lightning, and it slowly rose as the volts of energy started to discharge everywhere. A giant shockwave shook the earth, and the pink hedgehog staggered a bit. Her energy had been depleted by that last attack, which was still going on. The effects of stuns, burns, stings and electric shocks increased by a hundred, giving Amy time to recuperate. The white light slowly faded, showing a crater which was at least ten feet under, and a smoke rose. The victim of the attack was covered in ashes, laying there, motionless. Amy dropped to the ground, huffing.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Her eyes opened by the scream, horrified. She knew that voice. She looked around to see her friend screaming in agony as his spine snapped. Her jade eyes shrunk, watching in horror at the broken figure of the two-tailed fox. She felt an arm take her under the chin, and she snapped back into reality. _Nate survived that?! But that lightning..._

Nate pulled her by the neck, trying to suffocate her. Her thoughts dwindled, as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp. Using her last ounce of energy, she transformed the air particles in her hand into a hammer. Nate noticed and he kicked the hammer out of her grip. Amy's arms tried to pry his grip off her, but her strength diminished with her energy. The Chaos Being smirked as he saw her eyes close, and it was a job he was glad to finish. He let go, and her body fell to the ground with a thud. Her front facing the dirt, she stayed there.

* * *

><p>Knuckles punched Nate in the face, before kicking him in the same spot. The Chaos Being retaliated and shot a yellow energy bullet at his face, knocking him back. Smoke trailed from his face, blinding him for a bit. Nate teleported and kneed the echidna in the back, nearly shattering his back, if not for the shield the Guardian had. Knuckles swerved, using the inertia to kick more forcefully. Nate felt a sharp pain cross his waist, and rolled over to a side. The Chaos Being bounced up, before teleporting and materializing beside Knuckles. The echidna punched at him, but he disappeared and reappeared behind. Knuckles turned to elbow him, but Nate had swept his feet off the ground.<p>

The Guardian of the Master Emerald caught himself, but his arms were swept off the ground as well by another round of sweep kicks. Knuckles rolled backwards, while Nate teleports up into the sky, before falling straight for the echidna. The Chaos Being had his arms out, and the red flames had already covered him, trailing orange. The echidna rolled out of the way, before the attack hit, shattering the earth by a hundred feet, which engulfed Knuckles in it. A large fiery explosion concurred, as the other four were fighting. Knuckles' shield must've helped a _lot_. The red-orange dome vanished into nothingness, and what was left was a crater. There was not a single soul in that place.

Suddenly, an orange hand shot out of the ground, before pulling itself off the ground. He was caked in dirt, half of him was still in the smooth ground. He got out groggily, shaking his head before looking around. There was no sign of Knuckles. He stood straight in the epicenter of the aftermath of the blast. Huffing, he leaned forward and held himself up by his legs, steam rising from him. That last attack had expended a lot of energy from him. A _lot_. It had depleted him, drained him, but he could recover. He doesn't recover energy fast, though. A white fist shot out of the dirt a few yards away, surprising him. Knuckles had survived. The echidna jumped out of the ground, before landing gracefully. He was covered in ashes, yawning.

Nate was astonished by his endurance, before asking the same question Sarah asked him, "Are you... a Guardian of the Master Emerald?"

"Huh, same thing Sarah asked me." the echidna replied, "Yep, can you tell me the reason how you knew, just like Sarah?"

"Well, high endurance and the fact that you walked away from one of my better attacks like it was nothing." Nate explained, before regaining his energy. His power grew, and flames unfolded. Knuckles felt the heat emanating from him, and it was getting hotter and hotter. Why no blue fire? Because Chaos Beings, as stated by Sarah, could break reality by just doing stuff. The appearance of the fire from him shows red and orange, when it's actually hotter than it looks.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

The scream took the both of them by surprise, their heads snapping to the general direction. The two-tailed fox had his back broken, and Knuckles' first thought was to help him. He looked for Amy for help, but he found out she had her hands full, laying on the ground. Now, he had to face three Chaos Emeralds on his own. Maybe he had a chance, he outlasted his first opponent, maybe he could do the same for the next two? The orange and yellow Nates charged at him, while the red one that had Tails still stayed in that position, trying to bring as much pain to the fox. Knuckles fought the two, both of which were low on stamina. This urged him to fight better, since he had the advantage of energy. He started to rain down barrages of punches and kicks, trying to take them down. He should be able to tire the two out.

Knuckles and the two Chaos Beings jumped away from each other, trying to get some space. The red Chaos Emerald let the fox go, leaving him on the ground, and he continued to watch the battle between Knuckles and his doubles. The yellow and orange Nates nodded at each other, and they glared at Knuckles. The echidna readied himself, before the two charged at him.

The orange one dashed straight in front of Knuckles, while the yellow one flew around, as if he wanted to sneak in an attack from behind. The echidna kneed the tired Nate in front of him, before bouncing off the ground and spinning in a circle. The yellow Nate followed his movements, before realizing he was coming for him. Using the momentum of the spin, he made a stunning kick to the shoulder, instantly rendering it useless.

_I might just be able to beat them!_ Knuckles mused, flipping upright and continuing his volley of attacks. The yellow one blocked all he could with one arm, trying to keep up with the echidna. Knuckles finished it off with a right skyward kick, bringing a deafening shockwave that rippled through the air. His power was unmatched, for _he_ is the Guardian of the Master Emerald—

An orange light pierced through his skin. His right lower region of the torso had been shot clean through by a Chaos Spear. He forgot about the orange one! He turned swiftly, only to find a fist right in front of his face. He recoiled, but it wasn't fast enough, and soon he was knocked back in the air, blood trailing from his abdomen. The yellow Nate recovered from the kick, and flew straight for the Guardian. The orange one followed, only an inch behind the yellow one. Knuckles regained his composure, flipping in midair, before seeing the two make a straight beeline for him. If they weren't so resilient, the echidna might've won against them. Knuckles slammed his elbows up into them, striking the yellow one in the chin. The orange one was fast enough to see through his attacks, and since he was later than the yellow one by a millisecond, he sprung back, before kicking the Guardian's arm away. Knuckles focused on the orange one, but he felt something grab him from behind, and throwing him onto land. The yellow Nate recovered quickly.

An explosion of rocks and pale brown dust covered the echidna's body, but the two still swept over the ground, the force of them being airborne pushing the dust away. A few rocks rolled away, and some stumbled on Knuckles' body. The two landed on the ground with a tock, the orange one walking up to him. Knuckles sat upright, although painfully, he felt the blood dribble all over his burning wounds. He wouldn't last much longer, but he should. He must. In order to have the chance to win, there must be at least one opposing force against them, or else they have proven nothing.

"Stand down, Knuckles." the orange Nate said. "You're already dead. That attack I gave pierced through your internal organs. Any more movement and you will succumb to the blood loss."

"What's with the mercy?" the echidna asked, eyes shaking. He held his waist in pain, before pulling himself up. The orange Nate put on a warning stance, while the yellow one made no reaction to the echidna's durability. "What are you gonna do after this?"

"To continue the mission. To continue what my sister failed to do." Nate began, "And I'm pretty sure you already know what it is."

"Yea, we do."

The voice of the two-tailed fox brought fear to the three. They thought they broke him already, there was no possible way the fox could've stood up from that! Yet, there he is, smiling in the face of death. Knuckles couldn't help but grin at the sight of him. The yellow fox cracked his neck, almost tauntingly to the Nates. The red one stared in bewilderment, while the other two were breathing heavily at the sight of another opponent.

"You're... You're back up again!" the red one stammered out of amazement, astonished the fox could still stand. "I broke you! How are you still standing?!" he demanded, "How!?"

Tails smirked, "I had a... guardian angel."

* * *

><p><em><span>Divine Plane...<span>_

"That fox better not break his back again. That's a _serious_ injury." a doctor scoffed, standing in front of a giant screen. "And there was a rule to _not_ have a conflict with the mortal realm!" He rubbed his chin, head bowing, before he looked up at the screen. "Actually, the Chaos Emeralds aren't a part of the mortal realm, instead it is in a higher class, so..." A paper suddenly popped up in his hand, listing the rules of the gods. "Oh... Well that's a shame. Hey, Nazo, I'm a convict now. So, I can't risk doing it again. They'll know..."

This screen looked like a portal, but it was only for viewing. Akin to a crystal ball, except it was bigger and flatter. (Also, HD for the win!) A light-blue hedgehog had his arms folded as he watched. Nazo had called the God of healing for help, and he did so. The doctor was puzzled by why he needed his help, till he found out he was fighting a Chaos Emerald. He healed him almost immediately, rooting for the mortals. The reason why the gods couldn't participate in this was because a mortal created the Chaos Emeralds, and since then they were part of the mortal realm.

Nazo glanced at the healing God, before looking back at his student. "Don't worry, I'll defend you in court."

"There's _no_ court here!"

* * *

><p><em><span>EarthMobius..._

Tails glared at Nate, before announcing, "Fight me alone, and leave the others out of this!" The Chaos Being glanced at the tired Knuckles, who was surrounded by two Nates, and the unconscious Amy, who was lying face down.

Nate looked back at Tails. "Very well." he said, and the two Nates flew into him, becoming one. Knuckles dropped to the ground with a huff. He looked over at the two-tailed fox, who nodded at him. Knuckles got himself up and tried to carry Amy up. But the pink hedgehog stirred and shooed him away, saying she could get up herself. The two walked off, while the fox stood bravely against the red Chaos Emerald. _What do you have in mind for me, Tails?_ Nate thought.

* * *

><p><em><span>The Afterlife...<span>_

The Ultimate Life Form (or should I say Dead Form?) kicked at the air numerous times, watching the blurs of his black-red legs forcing through the thick clouds. A heavenly yellow glow surrounded him, and a halo over his head perceives that he was an angel. Or in his case, dead. Shadow rained down a barrel of kicks and punches, trying to maximize the efficiency of each blow with as little energy as possible. His endurance and stamina were up high, and his knowledge of martial arts made him the ultimate fighting machine. With him being dead and staying in the afterlife, it was only a matter of time till he was able to fly by his own. During the afterlife, his body was faster, since his body was already just a dead paperweight. If he didn't try, he could be floating without him even noticing, since his dead body was weightless.

A girl watched his every move, her legs dangling by the giant pit of death Shadow trained in. The Ultimate Life Form stayed aloft, trying to have the best space to practice attacks and techniques. He even acquired a Power Generator. A feat he knew possible by his clone or sister, Shade. "It's so light here. If I'm gonna be back on Earth, I'm not gonna get used to having a weight." he stated, muttering to himself. "If that's the case, then I'm going to need weights to train with." He paused his actions, before flying over to the girl. "Maria, it's not safe to sit on the edge of the pit."

"Ah, come on! You know I can fly!" Maria said, cocky with her well-being. The Ultimate Life Form smiled at this, his sister-figure was getting more and more arrogant. Something he wasn't used to recently. He floated off to find something that actually weights, with Maria following him. "You're just going to go off like that?"

"Yep," Shadow replied, floating into the Doctor's house in this divine dimension. Along the way, he glanced at the TV, which showed what he wanted to see. His mind lingered on the battle between Chaos Emeralds and the living, in which the television turned on automatically and showed Shadow a scene of a red Chaos Being and Tails having a standoff. Amy and Knuckles were walking away. "Wait a minute, where's Faker?" The television switched to a room where Sonic is all huddled up in the corner. "He's still mourning about her death... but she's not really a living being, I haven't seen her around in either heaven nor hell."

Maria contemplated at the TV screen, before remarking, "He looks sad... and depressed... just like you were when you were mourning for me." She looked at the ebony hedgehog and back at the television. "Sarah might not be a 'mortal', but Sonic cares for her like any father would. And he's filled with guilt cause he thinks it was his fault." she informed, even though Shadow already knew this. The Ultimate Life Form switched it to the fight, which both dead people were eager to watch.

* * *

><p><em><span>EarthMobius..._

Tails raised his gauntlet and shield up to block, which Nate's foot connected to. This created a giant shockwave that reigned over the whole region. Pieces of earth rose and broke into smaller pieces, flying away by the gigantic force. The white winds showed how the shockwave looked like, moving at an accelerating speed. The semicircle rose in height and diameter, engulfing the whole crater. The impact got the better of both, and they seemed dazed by the white explosion of air. Tails' arm stung and he could've sworn it broke like last time, but he jerked it upwards. Nate flipped over it and found a hole in the fox's defenses, so he took the advantage and flip kicked him in the head.

"Come on, vixen! You could do better!" Nate mocked.

Tails' eye twitched, "What the heck, dude? Sarah already made that fricking taunt!" A small pang of guilt shot through the fox's mind when he mentioned his niece.

"Oh, so you're _not_ a girl?" Nate said. The fox growled and sent a highly damaging kick, breaking through his nephew's defenses.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So... wassup? Tails having a knife as a weapon didn't fit with me, just to let you know. And yes, I've been watching too many movies...**

**I get this strange feeling that Shade could beat Sarah or Nate.**_ (or at least has a chance.)_

**What am I talking about?! They're my OCs! I can do whatever I want! Shade can beat Sarah or Nate! Yes, she's pretty useful, but she doesn't appear because she's too busy spamming _'GG!'_ all over space. Also, Shade listens to Rouge, who doesn't think the Chaos Emeralds are a threat. Now that that's done, I'm going to go create the third Chaos Emerald. I'm gonna give him a personality, unlike Nate.**


	20. I Am Fire, I Am Death

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

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><p><strong>AN: This... is the bane of this story. Dude, you wouldn't know how long this has been here. Ten days. TEN DAYS! No chapter of mine in this story ever took TEN DAYS to make. **_(other stories... meh, it'll probably take a month before I update them.)_

**Although it has some parts that might be awesome, or dragged out. It will not be praised for the simple reason that this took a third of a month to make!**

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><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 20<span>**

**_I Am Fire, I Am Death_**

* * *

><p>Tails swung a devastating blow with his leg, spinning the Chaos Being around. Nate recovered from the attack, before he stopped spinning and kicked the fox in the gut. The attack jumbled up his internal organs, getting him to spill blood from his mouth.<p>

"It seems that I have underestimated you." Nate began, "A mistake easy for me to correct." He slammed his forearm into his head, knocking it backwards. "The one you fought was nothing but a fourth of my power. The technique to splitting yourself means sacrificing power into other bodies, which I did." Tails recovered, stumbling a bit. Nate pulled back a fist. "Now that I am fully one with myself, you will know that you are no match for me." He shot his arm forward, and the fox could only raise his gauntlet to block.

Shame it was the left one, the one that was replaced, since it shattered like plastic and brought no defense for the kit. His right gauntlet, the one with _really_ hard metal, was too late for the punch. The fox felt his left arm stinging, and the burning sensation came up, as if the gauntlet had cut through his skin. Tails spun, smacking his namesakes into Nate, before landing a right fist into his chest. The attack did some damage, since it was the mettle of the attack that helped, while the metal strengthened and made more efficient damage. The fox was strong, although he didn't show it from his physical appearance, the gauntlets he carried were like weights that could pull his arm off if he didn't wear them properly. In a fight to the death, his brain was fast, pulling information with haste. He could find tactical advantages, if only his body could cope with it.

An IQ of 300 didn't mean that he _must_ be smart with everything, it meant that he was able to deduce answers far better and faster than the normal would. His brain was faster _and _better. If it was an easy question he would need answering, a normal person would answer short, while _he_ could go on for a minute before stopping. His brain was fast, but in fights he could be a tad slow, given the fact that he mostly used it in intellectual feats instead of fast reacting battles. The kit slowly got used to this, and in a few seconds, he was able to cope up in fights and tried to find the best solution to ending it. Always, he found one, but his opponent's strength and surprising attitude would always get him, and in the end he would learn that smarts wouldn't always beat people with brawns. Not if they also had brains. Which is why he was losing most of the time recently.

Nate was an expert in fighting, and was at a normal person's IQ. He might not be a genius, but in fighting he was a master. Tails began to learn that during this battle, that he would also need strength to backup his intelligence, or he might not win another day. In short, brains and brawns are equals, but if one had lacked the other, they are sure to lose. The ultimate fighter would need both, and one prime example would be Shadow the Hedgehog.

But others who don't need brains, but just brawns, was Sonic. For some reason, he was able to plough through some fights with a breeze with just pure strength. Even against others who had brains and brawns, he won. Maybe it was because he had some intellectual advantage, or maybe it was because his opponents don't even _have_ one of the two. Tails would keep pondering, till he would look back and find out Sonic never had an even fight before. An even fight in which both forces are at their maximum output. He just kept holding back. Was it a good reason to?

He snapped back into reality when he felt something smash against his face, in this case, it was Nate's elbow. The fox retaliated with a kick, but he was too slow. The Chaos Being vanished into thin air, and materialized behind him. Before the fox knew it, he was kicked in his back. He spun around and swished his tails, accumulating only dust. He threw a curved punch with his left, using the momentum of his twirl. Nate caught it in his hand, before he swung it away.

"'Fight me alone'" he repeated what Tails told him, mocking the fox with his stupid tone. "Yea, what are you gonna do?" He slammed his leg into his side, whipping him in the waist. That's gonna leave a mark. "I'm four times stronger now! The one you fought last time was weak!"

"Strength isn't everything." the fox panted, jumping away from him to get some breathing space. Nate watched as he kept on moving around, as if trying to get his attention. "Strategy, skill, luck. This fight depends on who is the better fighter. One that is strong and cunning. That will be the victor."

"What are you on about?" he asked, before looking closely.

The fox had pulled a remote from his right gauntlet, and clutched it with his left. "Something like an attack, or a diversion. Either way... plasma." he smirked, his thumb pressing a button on the remote. There was some humming in the place, but Nate didn't know where it came from. Then, it stopped. What was that?

The word confused him. "Plasma?"

As if by voice command, the noise stirred back to life, before making a sound. A sound like a laser gun being fired. Before he had time to move, the fox charged at him with his tails spinning to further increase his speed, and pushed him backwards. He continued with a few kicks, all made precisely to hurt him a bit. Nate made a red barrier around him, shunning Tails' attacks and pushing him off. He finally turned, and saw green. Green light.

It engulfed him, and his screams were unheard as it was muffled by the sound of plasma. The green orb took over his body, shining through, and Tails rolled over to the side to duck for cover, knowing the dangers of the attack plan. The risks of using plasma. Even _storing_ it, even more in a biplane, would be dangerous. He gambled on it, and finally found a use for his plane in battle. The propeller spun, shooting a green beam of pure plasma energy at the Chaos Being. Levels of energy depleted _fast_, and the biplane was starting to waver. First, an explosion occured from the intensity of the beam, blasting off metal pieces from the nose of the plane, till the end. Smoke rose from it, overheating. The fox watched at the glory of his machine, sacrificing itself for one attack. In the end, the plane exploded into flames, pieces of shrapnel flying all over the place. A gray mushroom cloud swished into the air, ashes raining down from it.

Where Nate was, a big bubble of green plasma energy took his place. It stayed there, as the fox gathered his bearings. His vision blurred, and his ears felt like mush. And the long ringing noise stayed in his head for a while. He didn't hear a thing from the attack, though. It must've had a higher frequency than what he could've comprehended, which must explain why his body was shaking. He looked over at the green sphere, panting, before spinning his two tails to evacuate. He remembered what had happened with one of his experiments. Thought he was safe, luckily he went out, before it went boom, and green corrosive substance would burn his walls. He tried to fly off, but he clutched his stomach. He looked down, seeing red. A piece of metal struck through his abdomen, and out back. The stinging sensation of the cold fragment of his plane was also burning. He arched his head back, blood drawing out of his torso.

He wasn't going to make it. "Oh it hurts..." he seethed, "It hurts, all right." He groaned in pain, trying to crawl out of the place. _It's no use..._ He thought. _The explosion would kill me before I could move an inch._

A muffled scream occured, and the fox's head snapped back to see what was happening. The green bubble bursted, but not in the way he thought it was going to happen. He thought it was going to spray itself everywhere, but this one—this one was different. Maybe it was because it had gone onto a bigger scale, he didn't know. First, the top part bubbled, sizzled. Then, it started to evaporate, steam rising from the top as plasma started to fade away, from top to bottom. There was no explosion. Tails' breathing increased, his heart pumped blood even faster, increasing his blood loss. He got paler, he was scared. There was no explosion, which meant...

The green bubble started to drip away, burning the brown dirt away like acid. Red started to deteriorate, and crimson circles started to form on the bubble, as plasma kept washing off like water. The red bubble was all that was left, and that could only mean one thing.

It wasn't over.

* * *

><p>Nate gritted his teeth, his eyes glowing pure red. He glared at the fox angrily, his red shield dissipating through dimensions. He stayed there, aloft, shaking involuntarily with rage. The red Chaos Being balled his fists, red fumes coming off from it. It was smoke. He started to change form, turning into a blur in the fox's sight. Tails couldn't help but feel scared. He was dripping blood, his pulse was increasing, which also meant the puddle of blood he was on would increase faster. Blood loss, losing blood in the head, causing hallucinations and potential brain damage. The metal that was jammed into his gut was cold, speaking of cold, everything was cold. He shivered, eyes shrinking in fear. Nate focused on one thing: finishing off that <em>poor<em> fox.

The Chaos Being stepped forward, and he veered straight through Chaos Control, heading for the fox.

WHA-POW!

Amy appeared, torn in clothing, bruises and scratches made on her arms, and her hair was all pointing downwards, making the three quills she had into bangs. She slid her hammer down, standing in front of the red blur named Nate. Amy huffed, sweating from the intense heat emitting from the Chaos Being. She waited, trying to recover energy in that time, _and_ stalling time for the fox to live. There was one person they knew that could end this. Sonic the Hedgehog.

Nate growled, charging at her, when a fist smashed into his face. The user of the attack was Knuckles, who regained his stamina already. Nate recovered from the attack and kicked Knuckles in the gut, shoving air out of his lungs. The echidna wondered how Tails survived this long, before falling to the ground, wheezing. He vomitted his own puddle of his own bodily fluids, saliva and blood mixed together. Nate kicked him out of the way, sending him crashing a hundred feet away. Amy charged and swung her hammer, but it was caught easily and she was blasted away by hot Chaos Energy. She flew into the air, before her body slammed into a tree, possibly breaking her. Nate walked up to the fox, arching a fist back.

* * *

><p>A black blur shimmered above Amy, before he crouched down before her and placed his hands on her. His dark aura vigorously pushed itself into her, melding all of the damages away. His black aura stopped, and she was okay. He vanished.<p>

* * *

><p>The Chaos Being swung his fist into Tails, who used all his energy to swing his right gauntlet to intercept, but it didn't help at all. His right arm crumpled from sheer power, and it broke in half. His bones snapped, his muscles teared, but his skin remained intact, which showed the worst looking broken arm. It looked like it was ripped off the socket and then knitted back together. It was... morbid.<p>

* * *

><p>The black aura showered itself onto Knuckles, healing him and pulling off the extensive physical injuries. He replaced the loss of blood, just like he did with Amy, and healed him just fine. The black blur stood before disappearing.<p>

* * *

><p>Before Nate's other attack, he was pushed away by intensive force, which could only happen with people who had a Power Generator. The energy level of a Chaos Emerald, or at least has some unusual energy, just like Chaos Energy, embodied in them. A good opponent, no doubt. Nate regained his senses, and saw a black figure crouching before Tails, scowling. He pulled out the metal shrapnel painfully, earning a squeak from the fox. He placed his arms on him afterwards, revising the healing incantation. His black aura circled around him, swishing through his body, before the fox looked as good as new. Sonic just contemplated at the body, before picking his brother up. He swayed his head, and he vanished.<p>

The dark hedgehog reappeared again, arms folded and frowning ahead at the red Chaos Being. His white eyes pierced through the red Chaos Being, and they twitched. He frowned even harder. "You're Nate?" he asked in a deep voice, it was in the middle of a demonic tone and his real tone. "Not one of my favorite kids. Sarah was better." he remarked, by just seeing his 'friends' in pain. The reason he could heal was because of Helios, who helped putting effort into healing. If not for the God, his friends are as good as dead.

"Who the hell cares about your favoritism?" Nate asked.

"Well, the person that does is... me." Sonic answered, pulling his arms to his side. The indigo hedgehog charged at the Chaos Being, crashing head-first, and stunning Nate. He pulled himself back and launched both legs at his chin, creating a bad gash under the Chaos Being's chin. The air under Sonic's feet exploded, boosting him away. The hedgehog watched from afar as his son recovered from the attack, glaring furiously as his father completely wrecked him in the first minute. "How's that? Didn't even use my arms." Sonic said with his cocky attitude.

Nate gritted his teeth, "Please don't tell me you're holding back." At this, Sonic smirked, causing the Chaos Being to falter. "Oh Gods and Chaos..."

"I'm gonna end this quickly," said Sonic, who crossed his arms. "Surrender now, or be wiped out of existence. By the count of ten, I want to know what your answer will be. One..."

"I'd rather die than surrender." Nate responded hastily.

"Two... Oh, okay then... your funeral." Sonic stated, charging at the Chaos Being. With speed of the dark forces, he was able to catch up to him in a millisecond. Sonic feinted a charged punch, and actually swerved to the right, dodging a kick from Nate, and ended his flight behind him. He swung his right fist into the back of the Chaos Being's head, before grappling him by the hair with his left hand and throwing him into the sky. He continued on, flying after him, and sending a powerful kick into Nate's back. The son coughed up his spit, before swishing in the air and bachanding his father. Sonic vanished and reappeared above him, fists in the air. With both his hands clutched together, he slammed them into the head of his son.

Nate had been struck down, zooming through the air with a red trail, ending up on the ground. The Chaos Being backflipped off the land, immediately recovering from the crash, and stood on his two legs. He pushed one arm out, and sent a multitude of yellow spears at his father. "**Chaos Spear!**" Sonic narrowed his eyes at this, watching as the yellow lines slowly come at him. Each one was as deadly as how _Shadow_ made them to be—the first time he met him—and now an expert in Chaos Energy, his son, was using this. The hedgehog outstretched his arms, black aura expanding furiously, acting as a shield for him. The yellow attacks did nothing but fade into his barrier.

Sonic snorted, "You're even weaker than Sarah herself!"

"Shut up!" Nate retorted, bringing his right arm back. "How 'bout this?! **SOLAR FLARE!**" He shot his right hand out, sending a red-yellow sphere of fiery Chaos Energy. It looked gaseous, and the red part was overlooking the yellow part. It was a yellow ball with red tendrils shooting out from it and covering it. It looked similar to... the star in our solar system.

Sonic's eyes widened as he felt the pull from the attack. "Gravity?! That's like... the SUN!" he realized, the attack getting closer. It was as dense as he said it was, which meant it was a mini-sun. Lighter, _much_ lighter than it, since it was smaller. He dodged the miniature sun, before turning and swaying his arm out at it, making it explode in the sky. The aftereffects of letting the mini-sun explode was making a mini-supernova, letting all that energy gush out in one go. He turned back, after defusing such a dangerous attack, which shone brightly and overshadowed him. The Chaos Being raised his arms up to cover his eyes, since the light was too powerful for even closing his eyes could blind him. "You know, you could've called it supernova or something." he remarked, arms crossed again. "Then again, you're really, _really_ bad at this."

Nate charged at him, with a yell as his battle cry. Our favorite blue hedgehog simply made a backhand in time, smacking the Chaos Being into the air, also shutting him up. Sonic contemplated at his son, arching a brow. He just bitch-slapped him with no effort, and it brought pain to the red Chaos Emerald. Nate gritted his teeth, glaring back at his confused father, and rubbing his cheek. He charged again, but this time he was knocked back by a single punch. Sonic watched his son's fruitless attempts to beat him, but they were all pushed away by simple actions. Nate recovered from the attack, tensing up. He took a moment of recovery, before travelling with Chaos Control. Dimensions shifted, and he pushed away the space between them. When he reverted it back, he was met by an instant smack to the face.

Nate rubbed his face, "How the hell...?"

"Yea, I was wondering that too." Sonic humiliated, smirking. "You're either that weak or I'm too strong. I think I'm going with the latter."

"Damn you and your arrogance!" shouted Nate, who watched his father fly to the ground, which he did so as well. "You're going to _hell_!"

Sonic crossed his arms, head tilting back. "Big talk from someone who doesn't have enough of a bite to back it up." He brought his head forward, reflecting a bit on the dark side. Still though, he remained positive, keeping his cool. "Seriously though, why so ticked off that your dad's stronger than you? Isn't it natural?"

"Shut the f*ck up." Nate said, narrowing his eyes at him. Sonic's eyes raised a bit in little-to-no shock, although he jumped a little. He wasn't expecting for any F-bombs to be pulled this early in the battle. Nate smirked, seeing his father have a slight reaction to his outbreak.

Sonic sighed, "Attitude." _Better teach this kid some manners. Of course, what would he do without his father's lead?_ He thought, chukling inwardly. He could hear Helios sighing in his mind. The hedgehog crouched down, placing his fingers by his side. A running stance, which he would use to boost himself even more with his attack. "Time to revisit some old favorites... 'son'." he smirked, head lowering down to curl. He rolled in place, dust shooting off the back. The dark blue ball spun, seen as only a blur. The ebony aura turned into black flames that lit him, spinning round and round.

"Old favorites? The spin dash? Oh, please..." Nate's smirked was wiped off when Dark Sonic charged at him, speed unmatched. Before he knew it, he was already in close range, spikes ready to slice. "HOLY SHIT!" he screamed, instinctively putting his arms out, taking the hit right after. He held his ground, arms in a cross to block. His heat didn't do much, since Sonic had basically won the entire fight in the first few milliseconds. White sparks flew out from the friction created between the two. Sonic kicked off his son after a while, knocking them away from each other. The brooding hedgehog, now positive and active, leapt through Chaos Control, annoying Nate.

Sonic appeared everywhere and nowhere, jumping from place to place. The Chaos Being desperately tried to pinpoint his next location, but his father would appear randomly everywhere, it would be almost impossible. When he gave up, Sonic instantly appeared in front of him, using the inertia from every jump, and giving a full frontal kick. The attack shook the air tremendously, breaking the bones of wherever he delivered the attack, and creating a shattering dark shockwave of doom. The air pressure changed dramatically, turning Nate's body upside down and right back up, while Sonic teleported away to dodge that. Nate dropped to the ground, clutching his ribs from the agonizing pain. Sonic materialized in front of him, shoes pointed downwards.

"Chaos Control is nice." the father remarked, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side tauntingly. Nate bared his fangs, blood dribbling from the side of his mouth. Sonic smiled at his son's reaction. He stuck his tongue out to taunt him, before teleporting out. The air where he calmly stood at, was now swiped away by the Chaos Being, fueled with anger. He ripped at the particles, causing a distress in 'space'. Sonic came about again, this time, he was right beside, sitting in the air. "_Miiissed_ _meee_..." he whispered long and provokingly, irritating his son even further.

Blood boiled in his body, he made a violent swerve and punched him. This time, it connected, a full fiery fist launched straight at his father's face at over a thousand miles per hour. The winds forced past, drag slowed him with nothing, and the punch made a sickening crunch when it came into contact with Sonic's jaw. The blue blur stepped backwards, fazed by the attack, while blood dripped from his lip. It was like a normal attack to him, like a normal person's level. There was no fancy action, just a straight-up normal punch. Nate began to quiver, his hand crumpked by the sheer force inserted into it, and being rammed into steel-like material his father was made of. He held it with his other, mending the broken hand.

"What the hell?" Nate cursed, shaking in pain.

Sonic tapped at his mouth with his finger, checking for blood. When he found out, he looked back at Nate, a shocked expression on his face. He tried to hide his amazed impression, by saying "That one was free." really fast, like he was trying to back himself up.

But of course, Nate took it as a negative remark, like it wasn't enough, so he swung his left arm out, shooting sparks of fires at him. Sonic took this like a boss, swinging his head up and telekinetically pushing the flames into the sky. It was a display of red fire, burning up above the crater. The Chaos Being grunted in disapproval, before charging into him, shoulder first, and knocking him down. The flames in the air vaporised into smoke, as if by command. Sonic fell to the ground, before pushing himself up and dodging a fire whip aimed straight for his face. Nate raised his hands, fire forming in his grasp, before turning into a melted-steel blade.

Nate brought it down, eager to chop his father's head in half, but Sonic had other plans. Like, for example: living. The blue blur, still in his dark state, did a sideways karate chop, while the sword was swung down. His hand struck the red steel sword, before it shaped itself out into half, like jelly. Sonic used his other hand to strike Nate while he's still stunned by what happened, and turned 360 in a circle, and swung his fist into his son's nose. It broke, leaving small sploshes of red to drop on the dirt they stand on.

"I hate you." Nate stated, swinging his fists by his side.

Sonic smiled, winking, "I hate you too."

Nate charged at him again, but this time, Sonic intercepted with a high knee smash. It completely destroyed his jaw, by letting the teeth clack into each other, piercing through gums, and shattering bones in the skull. Blood spluttered out from his mouth, which Sonic stumbled away from. The hedgehog nearly vomitted at the sight of red liquid seeping through his son's mouth, his teeth all clambered up, and his jaw swinging open.

"We should... get you a dentist." Sonic remarked, backing away from him.

Nate used his fiery attributes to heat himself up, burning, mending and _melting_ his bones together in a disgusting fashion. The Chaos Being had a painfully short surgery with himself, and flashed his teeth at the hedgehog, all good as new.

"Or... you could do that." the blue blur shrugged.

"I will burn you in hell." Nate threatened. _Last stand..._ He thought.

"By all means, go ahead." _-and try. _Sonic added inwardly, as he put his arms by his side.

Nate stood by, calculating his attacks, before rushing forward. He feinted a jab, which Sonic tried to counter with a block. The Chaos Being used this and slid under, kicking at his legs, and pulled him by the head and threw him into the sky. There, Sonic stayed like a dummy, wanting to know what his son'll do next. Nate's fists sprouted flames and he swerve them in a circle before meeting into the center. He then placed his fists by his sides, crouching down and letting the fires touch the ground. He teleported, zooming up and spiralling into a flame vortex, before dispersing and landing on Sonic in the air. He kicked him upwards, red and orange fires shooting off from his feet, shooting Sonic off into space. The hedgehog realized his downfall, that he would have no air to breathe, so he took one before he got out of the Earth's atmosphere, following Nate's actions.

_No air... and from what I remember no oxygen for fire to feed off... _But_, Science is pretty much bullshit when it comes to this topic, huh?_ Sonic thought, as the flames were still hurtling him out into deep space. The fires were still there, due to the Chaos Being's power of warping reality. Nate raised his hands behind his head, fists clenched, before shooting them out towards Sonic, blasting red dual twin tornadoes of death. Sonic's dark aura prevented his outer space incineration, and also expanded into the inky dark space. Nate flew up, and shot his left arm forward, a large fire engulfing him. He shot himself like a missile against his father, in order to finish him off. Sonic's air was running out, and he needed to breathe. At the same time, he was curious. Curious at what his son could do at full power.

Nate shouted a final cry, before blasting himself upwards. Even though sound could only travel through mediums, and there were no mediums of sound in space, yet Sonic could still hear him. "**Helios' FIRE!**" he shouted, fire turning into pure golden yellow with dazzling red and orange spikes.

_Helios' wha...?_

_'Ah... nice. Someone who _knows_ what I do.'_

The attack caught Sonic off guard, and it connected. Helios' Fist took on the Manifestation of the God of Despair, and a white explosion of pure skyrocketing heat blinded the two. Neither knew who survived, but both knew it was Nate's best. The attack exploded into millions of orange sparks of flames, all sizing in about a car's space. It lit the sky up in white, while the two were nowhere to be seen. It was a risk for Sonic to take, since he needed air, and it was all sucked out from him once the attack hit. Nate put all his power into that, and may not have enough energy to come back from it.

* * *

><p>The body of Sonic floated in space, black dust and ashes accumulating on the surface. His body was pure black, and his eyes were white from being knocked back. Sonic stayed there, literally breathless, as all the air he had kept had been sucked into the vaccuum of space. The body of Nate was floating just yards away from Sonic's, still as red as the red Chaos Emerald. His black clothing had been seared slightly, but there were cuts to it, leaving pieces of black cloth hanging in space. He too had been completely exerted, using the last of his energy at the spectacular light show.<p>

Sonic woke, his aura starting up. He had no air, so he was just suffocating in space. _Ugh, what happened?_

_'You passed out from the explosion of the year.'_

_I swear, Helios, if it's because your name is in that stupid attack-_

_'No. It's because you've destroyed Bluön.'_

_What the hell's a Bluön?_

_'It's an uncharted moon that was in your planet's orbit.'_

_You mean we have _two_ moons?!_

_'How else was there a 'blue moon'?'_

_How will this affect the Earth?_

_'It doesn't. It's because this moon appears in the rarest times. Plus, it doesn't actually _do_ anything. It just stays in place for some reason.'_

_Uh... you don't know?_

_'Ask Nazo, he might know.'_

Sonic turned to face the planet, before his aura flashed white. He ended back onto land, where he took several deep breaths to maintain his stamina. The hedgehog looked up, staring at the white flashes of light, spreading from one single entity. It was growing in size and shape, before going out with a bang. The simple lightshow must've been seen worldwide, since this explosion was on a planetary-scale level. Sonic dropped to the ground, legs giving out, as he just silently stared at the sky.

Space was fascinating. There are no ends there. If there was a track from one end of a Universe to another, he might not make it through. The unlimited track could take days, months, years, until he died of some normal stuff. Like aging or starving. The white light hasn't ended yet, which gave Sonic an interesting feel for today. He had just killed his own son without any regrets. Hell, he humiliated him. Nate was an angry child, with no other emotion except for being mad all the time, that's what Sonic concluded. The bright light ended after a few minutes, and Sonic finally sat up, thinking about two of his offsprings. Sarah and Nate. Sarah was a girl hell-bent on destruction, but she has a good side which only comes out in the darkest of times. Nate was a guy fueled with anger, he might just be misunderstood, but he won't know now.

"You think..."

Sonic was stunned. He turned around and saw Nate limping towards him, angry eyes set on blazing through his skull. The Chaos Being stood there, bloodied. All his wounds were cauterized, and painfully adept. He had his jaw set, eyes hard, and his arms by his side. Sonic scrambled back up, astonished by how enduring his son was.

"...you've won?" Nate ended, spitting blood on the side of the crater.

Sonic contemplated at him for a moment. "Why don't you just give up?"

"Give up? Surrender? I already told you first thing in this battle. I would rather _die_ than give up!" Nate shouted, setting his arms on fire. He took a stance, ready to launch himself at his father. "I promise you, I will burn you in _hell_! Didn't I?!"

Sonic just glared at him, the inky black substance that was his aura, swirled over his head. "I think you've lived over your expiry date..." he grumbled. _I have something I want to try._

"Is that true?" Nate asked, smiling angrily.

_'That... is dangerous.'_ Helios chided in. _'You could die.'_

_Maybe, maybe not. _Sonic replied, smirking.

"What's with that empty smile on your face? Have you realized that you've lost!?" Nate shouted, oblivious to the gap of power they had. His anger blinded him, his rage was the only thing that could lead him here. He charged, pulling back a fist. "Well here's a going-away present!"

Sonic kept on grinning, before getting ready. "**Double...**" he grunted, new power overloading his body. "**...****Chaos Control!**"

Time slowed.

Power grew exponentially.

New energy resurfaced.

Blinding hot flash of light.

Sphere of power took over.

Nate's body disintegrated.

Sonic's body was pushed to the limits.

White.

* * *

><p><em>"Maurice... wake up..."<em>

* * *

><p>Sonic snapped his eyes open, finding himself in an empty black space. Bubbles flew out of his mouth, and his first thought was he was that he was underwater. But when he inhaled for oxygen, he could do so as he pleased. There were no mechanics to this world, as he was floating in water, all the while breathing fine. The walls to this room expanded to near infinite space, zooming throughout the dark abyss.<p>

_Where am I?_ Was Sonic's first thought.

_'Your subconscious.'_ Helios replied.

_Wait, so, when I got knocked out by that Helium Fist attack, it didn't bring me here. However, when _I_ use Double Chaos Control, it brought me to this?_

_'It was that powerful, and that risky. You're in a near-death state. I should be able to bring you back, since I'm a God and yadda yadda yadda.'_

_Near... death?_

_'_So_ near death that we're in your subconscious. Actually, I have an idea on how you survived, or got back to life, but it's probably too nerve-racking for you.'_

_How'd I get here?_

_'Well, you cheated death yet again! ...foolish endeavor.'_

_Yeah... what's too nerve-racking?_

_'Uh... who's 'Maurice'?'_

Sonic's eyes widened, struck with a clueless demeanor. It was activated on instinct, like he was trying to hide something. He just stayed there, floating, not even answering the question.

_'Dodging that one, eh? Well, I could figure this one myself. This has to be some kind of memory from the past, since it played when you almost died, and it brought you back to life when you heard it. So, Maurice is, I guess, in this context, you... and you were called by someone else to-'_

_Enough, okay? _Sonic demanded, eyes shut. _Bring me back._

_'Will do, sire.'_

_No need for the manners, dumbo. Just call me-_

* * *

><p>"-Sonic..." the hedgehog began, waking up. His body cramped. It was all so pain. He couldn't move a strained muscle unless he wanted to go head-first into a hospital. He'd rather go to Amy instead.<p>

He coughed, spitting out whatever fluids that was blocking the passageway to his lungs. His vision was hazy, everything was blurred out. He thought he was back at home, with friends tending to his condition, or at a hospital, with trained doctors trying to fix him. But it was neither. Instead, from what he could see, he was lying in the same crater the battle started in, except the crater was wider and deeper. Double Chaos Control had obliterated most of the surrounding objects, and even then, the lightning that was potentially charged from its energy was resurfacing through the crust of the Earth, surprising Sonic. The yellow lightning made its way up, before fading into nothingness, creating a sizzling thunder sound. Sonic laid there, immune to death, as he had escaped it one last time.

_That's going to be the last time I'll use Double Chaos Control._ Sonic stated inwardly, his brain was one of the only things that weren't in pain. If it was, he would have a massive headache or potential brain damage. He could very well have brain damage, and his nervous systems weren't telling him he was in pain because of his brain, _and_ he could be imagining things his brain wanted him to imagine. Like the inky void that was his subconscious.

Sonic, against all odds, sat up. His muscles gave a cry of agony, putting harsh and unnecessary strains on his actions. Lighting up his black aura, only half the pain subsided, but he was good to move. His energy was up high, since he didn't expend all that much while Nate attacked him. He didn't spend any substantial energy at _all_, which surprised him.

Sonic stood, heaving. He heard noises, sirens of laughter. He raised his head, painfully. He might be in his dark state, but his emerald eyes were intact, bright and happy. He could see his friends, as his eyes adjusted. Blurs and lights of yellow, pink and red, all coming straight for him. Too bad he didn't have his glassess to see the looks on their faces. He grinned with them, throat chuckling in both pain and laughter. He squinted, and he could partially see their faces, all in joy.

"Sonic!"

"SONIC!"

Knuckles didn't call his name. Instead, he raised his voice before giving him an order. "Next time we're facing a Chaos Emerald, promise me one thing." the echidna said as he raised a fist—no fingers.

Sonic grinned, voice hoarse, "What's that?"

"Be our first line of defense." Knuckles glowered, showing how serious he was.

The hedgehog chuckled inwardly, "Whatever you say."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And Sonic saves them all... **_(This was actually done in fifteen days.)_

**FINALLY! Yes! This has been finished! Days of pressure are long gone with that ending of a fight! That thing saved me! I forgot I planned to have Sonic use Double Chaos Control against one of them, and now that it happened... I'm a bit disappointed. They're supposed to be stronger.**

**Anyway, when I finished, I was... impressed. Not angry, just impressed. Huh, feelings change when I found out this was now the longest chapter. 6.5k words!**

**Have I pulled any F-bombs yet? No? Well, then... I left censors, because why not? Plus, I rarely put the F-word here. **_(except other fics because I'm a jackass)_

* * *

><p><strong>In memory of<strong>** my computer. It's broken. So, you probably won't see me in a decade, or more.**


	21. Peace for a Year

**Disclaimer: You know, I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. It is owned by SEGA. Or something like that. I just write this story.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Back from vacation! **_(Actually, no, I had a two day break from writing before I statrted again. Not much of a 'vacation'.) _**Let's see what I've got to write...**

_(Looks through a short list of notes, but big plots)_

**Oh god... this'll take much more time. And since I'm not typing on a computer, this situation got even worse.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 21<span>**

**_Peace for a Year_**

* * *

><p>The day started normally, but it was too normal for their taste. Sonic the Hedgehog had finally started to show on the dining table with them. After a year of self depression, he was finally out of that room. The three were happy, until Sonic kept using that power of his. Everytime something bad happens that angers Sonic by a bit, that same specific amount of anger would turn to bad Chaos Energy. Meaning, if you anger Sonic by just one percent, his body shifts to when he's using one percent of his Dark Form.<p>

Looking at that inky black aura swarming him would be nauseating. Ask Knuckles, he vomitted after staring too long. But Amy cleaned it up easily by just using magic. The calm blue fur he had that represented freedom, changed to a dark, _very_ dark, blue, where it represented 'YOU WON'T ESCAPE ME'.

But his eyes were still the same. The emerald eyes were what everyone would focus when he was in a bad mood. And by when he's in a bad mood, it's almost one-fourth of the time. Because even a little bit of negative emotion changes his appearance, though his behavior would be the same. Everyone tried to make him happy, which he showed, but his body didn't show it.

It meant that he was truly not happy, but wanted to show everyone he's happy to not hurt their feelings. Just a bit, even a _tiny_ bit, would change his appearance. He needed to be fully free from negative emotions, to show his positive cheery form. Sonic didn't like this. It was a side effect to controlling his Dark Form. A very bad one that showed his feelings. He didn't want that.

And one day, when Sonic was in his normal form. Tails reached out for a chili dog.

Hell broke loose.

But that was a normal day for everyone. Even though Tails gave back the delicious snack, Sonic was still in his negative state, having a hint of sadness that his little brother understood him. He was no longer a mystery.

His Dark Form transformation comes when his consciousness is flooded with darkness. Since the day he first controlled it, he could no longer stop the flow of biased thoughts that were made in his mind. They were all screaming in his mind, and he couldn't make a happy thought to contradict it all.

Finally, after a month, Amy made—or found—a cure for him. It actually _does_ what Sonic wanted, which meant it worked. He no longer had that black aura and the deep blue fur. He had his happy side again, which kinda bothered them. After tolerating the 'dark ages' Sonic for a month, they had to switch their roles to adapt to the old Sonic. Tails had gone back to his garage and locked himself there, Knuckles stayed out to meditate, Amy went shopping again, leaving the hedgehog alone in the living room.

* * *

><p><em><span>Sonic's Birthday...<span>_

"Hey, Sonic."

Said hedgehog pulled his head up. After watching too much TV, he got weary of it. He looked at the fox, finding him all blurred out, before he put on his glasses. Then, when everything was clear, he saw the kit smiling at him. Sonic smiled back, "Hey, bud."

Tails smiled, contemplating for a moment. _Did he really just forget it's his own birthday? _He asked himself inwardly, looking away for the clock and finding it to be seven in the morning. _Wow, I didn't even realize we both didn't sleep._ "Uh... you forgetting something?" he asked, trying to get something out of the blue hedgehog.

Sonic stared at him, wrinkling his nose. He placed his hand on his forehead, covering his eyes, trying to recall what day is it. When nothing came to mind, he picked out what anyone would say when someone asks that question. "Uh... Happy Birthday..." He pointed at him. "...Tails?"

Shamed, Tails facepalmed. "No, Sonic. It's _your_ birthday." Sonic immediately smacked himself in the head, muttering inaudible curses to himself. Tails smirked, "So..." He turned and pulled out a gift from his tails. The fox showed it to him, even though it was just wrapper. "Happy twenty-first Birthday!"

"Hah, thanks, Tails!" Sonic expressed his gratitude, taking the box covered in birthday wrap. He adjusted his glasses for a bit, before moving the box away from his eyes. He stared at it, contemplating at the fine adjustments of the yellow wrapper. He ripped it open, hoping it wasn't part of the present, and found a brown box. He opened that up, and he got a portable console. A gaming device. "Uh... thanks?"

Tails smiled, "I knew that would be your reaction. Well, it must be because I haven't told you what it could do." He sat next to his brother, and took hold of the device with one hand. With one press of a finger, the console lit up. "There's the power button." The screen of the device went onto the main menu. "And here, you could select games from any genre. Be it adventure, action, whatever you gamers play, and..." His finger slid across the screen, showing that it was also touchscreen. A green light displayed, holograpic.

"Cool." Sonic said, getting excited with each second.

"That's not the fun part yet. What's different between this and the other games is that..." His finger scrolled down the screen, and a percentage appeared. "I've adjusted it to be playable for you. Which means that, I've sped up the whole thing. Everything will be set at your reaction time, and the buttons wouldn't burn off with the friction created by your fingers."

"Awesome..." the hedgehog remarked, already testing it out. The next second, the screen blurred blue, green and yellow, and he was halfway through playing one of the games Tails didn't know about.

Tails arched a brow, "Wait... is... is that-?"

The kit's eyes were trained to be far more responsive than a normal ones, putting it at full capacity. He could see bullets zipping in the air in slow motion, with white hoops trailing behind it. Focusing, he could see the colors and the outlines of what he was playing, and slowing down time. By physics, the faster you are (it has to be at super-speed level), the slower time goes.

"Me? Yes, it is, Tails." Sonic replied, grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

><p><em><span>Tails' Birthday...<span>_

Sonic walked over to the kitchen, ready to prepare for his brother's birthday. He got out a cup of water from the fridge, gulping it down, before throwing it over the sink. Before it hit the sink, he reappeared with his own shocking speed and caught the cup, washing it in a second, before placing it back where it belongs. When he studied the cup, it was burnt... (from sheer intensity of the power of speed)

"It's no biggie. I could uh..." He threw it out the window, before blasting it into ashes. He dusted his hands, before placing them on his hips. "Another job well done. Now, onto the main task."

This was big. He could feel it. It was going to be awesome, and he's the one that's gonna present it to him. Oh, yes, the gift will be even better than the gift Tails gave him. Tenfold! Or... not. The hedgehog sped out the front door, leaving a blue trail behind him. He ignited his black aura, bursting into his Dark state. His emerald eyes were still intact; he was in control. He blasted off into space, going tens of thousands of miles per hour.

* * *

><p>"Wow, I am slow..." Sonic told himself, flying through his own dimensions.<p>

Travelling through Chaos Control, which bends space and time, took much of his energy. To have some reserves for going back, he needed to efficiently use his energy. He sacrificed space travelling with time, flying through the infinite space to find a stash of things. He was fast, faster than the speed of light in this instant, but he was slow, slow in space travel. It was going to take lightyears in order to reach his destination, he needed to go into hyperspace in order to get faster. Chaos Control and his speed was not enough for this, the space between him and his destination was far greater than he imagined, and it burned his energy off. His stamina decreasing would also decrease his speed, since he couldn't keep a steady trace of his acceleration.

"It's going to take up an hour before I get there. Probably should've brought that gaming device to take some time off." Sonic remarked, eyes peering through the vortex he was in.

He was in his own pull of space, exerting himself to go even further. Colors of space (blue, black, white, green, yellow, orange, red, purple), rainbows of light, coalesced into his sight. A runway of the vacuum of space, trying to take the air from his lungs, but he denied that access.

Sonic turned his head, sighing. "How long is this going to take?"

_'Around fifty more minutes.'_ Helios replied._ 'I could help, but ya know...'_

Sonic inwardly groaned.

* * *

><p>The hedgehog landed onto an orange planet, named Diarön. According to Helios, this planet had something of value to the battlefields. Something <em>really<em> hard to dent. Diarön, conveniently, has the same name as the metal itself... for _some_ reason. The founders of the metal found it easier to name the metal as the planet because it would get attention from people to dig up from there. Unfortunately, nobody thought the metal and planet should be named the same and ultimately took it down. There was a war, and people that inhabited the planet died. There were rumors of the ghosts of the dead, but there weren't any. Nobody came to this planet soon after.

The orange plains show no life at all, and there was some dust in the winds. Mountains could be seen in the landscape. There were no buildings, not even a base of operations. It was really, _really_ lifeless. And most of all, no sight of the metal he was finding. Sonic kicked at one of the small rocks, before redefining the planet with his own words.

"This doesn't look like the place hard metal would hide."

His sentence echoed over the lands, acquiring the attention of nothing.

_'You're gonna have to dig it up yourself.'_

_Shoot._

* * *

><p>The blue blur was back on Earth, after a two hour trip. He cleaned himself of the dirt he acquired from 'mining'. (he tore a hole through the planet to strike for metal. Luckily, he did) Tails was sleeping in the workshop, but most of the machines were still whirring. The fox was sitting in his seat, the computer in front of him still shimmering with light, while he snoozed. Sonic tiptoed into the garage, checking on the fox for anything.<p>

The hedgehog deliberately coughed, but he did not get the desired action from Tails. Instead, the fox wrinkled his nose and turned over. Luckily, he fell from his chair, which woke him up. Sonic smiled, watching as Tails scrambled back up, alerted. "I see you're awake." Sonic began.

"Smartass." Tails grumbled under his breath, before putting up a cheery mood. "Uh, yeah... I'm awake."

"Happy fourteenth Birthday, Tails!" Sonic shouted, which echoed through the walls of the workshop. "Since I couldn't make something as awesome as you did in my birthday, I got _you_ something that you need in every start."

Tails tried, "Breakfast?"

"_Uh_-huh..." Sonic replied, unsure of what to make from that answer. "It's raw materials!" the hedgehog cheered. And with that, he ran out, and came back, with a big block of metal. The kit examined the block of shining gray matter, before coming to a conclusion.

"The hardest metal in the Galaxy?" Tails asked, seeing if he was correct.

"Yep. Diarön." Sonic informed, carefully pronouncing the metal. He placed it over on a workbench, but it crumpled under its weight. Sonic was strong, with his Dark state and new power, it's no wonder. "It's the hardest metal in the galaxy, but still not the heaviest. If so, I think the floor would've broke too."

Tails leaned in and pulled him into a hug. "I could always count on you with these things."

Sonic repaid the action by putting his arms around him. "Yeah... Happy birthday..."

* * *

><p><em><span>The Mountain Where Tails Found Nazo Some Chapters Ago, And The Latter Warned Him About—Nevermind...<span>_

Tails sat on the rocky ground, the edge of the tall mountain he was on. His two tails fluttered behind him, moving as his emotions go. They would move as fast as he was happy, and as slow as he was sad. Sometimes, as steady as he was serious. But the kit had a smile on his face, with his namesakes hovering off the ground with a strong, yet calm, rhythm.

Beside him, was a God that was intent on meditating, crossing his arms and letting his feet dangle over the edge. He was as calm as he was mysterious. Though he might not be as questionable as a God's level, he was rather playful in personality and easy to punderstand. He didn't like his title as the God of mystery anyway.

"I've always found something puzzling." Tails piped up, whipping his head to face the God he was idly sitting by.

Nazo arched a brow, yet his eyes were closed. "Yeah? What is it?"

Tails put his arms behind his head, resting them on his tails. "Sound." the fox simply said, pausing for a moment. "We're going so fast, time slows down, right? But sound doesn't even seem to slow down as much as it says it is, neither does light. But light is remarkably faster than sound, so that's no biggie. It's just sound. Sound should sound—I don't know... slower? I still hear it instantly, like now."

"Your voice speaks out faster than you think. It's easy to understand, just don't overthink it. Like how you need infinite energy to go at the speed of light, yet there are things that could go beyond that which don't need infinite energy. For example, hyperspace travel, your friend, Sonic, did that. But he didn't have infinite energy." the God informed, finally opening his eyes. "You do know this, the way you move while you talk is beyond the speed of sound, _but_..."

"But what?" Tails asked.

"Maybe if you let me finish, you'd know." Nazo scolded, albeit in a peaceful mood. "There are different dimensions. Light and sound are part of a dimension, and their laws are to move at a speed in a second. But, what's a second in your book?"

Nazo waited for the kit to answer. Instead, the kit was waiting for _him_ to answer it.

"A second is a second in whatever speed you're going at. Just count... _one_... and there, a second." Nazo stated, "Your reaction time is no different to this dimension, and to everyone else, all they would see and hear are blurs of sound and light mixed together. If they're lucky, they might hear but not see it, just lagged out a _lot_."

Tails leaned forward, beside him were his arms, pushing him up. His tails wagged up and down slowly, yet with a strong tone. "So, the answer to my question is _conveniently_ 'another dimension'? That's _so_... whaddya' call it?"

"Ridiculous?"

"Ah, that's right. Ludicrous." Tails sarcastically corrected.

The God put on a wide frown, eyes half-lidded. "You _can_ fly, right?" Nazo asked, patting him on the back. Tails solemnly nodded. The God shoved him off the cliff, before chuckling to himself.

Tails' only thoughts were: _That insufferable bastard!_

* * *

><p>Tails spun his namesakes, hovering off the lake. He was drenched in cold water, shivering as he flew up the tall mountain. The fox found Nazo waiting for him on top of the cliff, arms crossed. "What was <em>that<em> for?" asked Tails.

"I _am_ called the God of Mystery for a reason..." Nazo replied, smirking to himself. Tails snorted, his face showed the epitome of the word 'livid'. Nazo inwardly chuckled, "I'm just trying to check if you could get up after getting pushed. Besides, you're already feeling that in battles, weren't you?"

Tails groaned, "Yes, no, maybe." He sighed, "Is Miles Prower real?"

Nazo arched a brow, "You're still on that?" The fox nodded, to which Nazo responded with a lazed expression. "All I can say is, Miles Prower isn't real. He's the Chaos Influence that took over your body when you were using the Emeralds."

* * *

><p><em><span>A Random Day When Amy Went Shopping...<span>_

A lovely pink hedgehog strolled down the loud shopping mall, carrying three bags of her shopping. She was really lucky that no one recognized her in that huge place, or else she'd get a horde of people asking her where she was in the last few years. Or if she went to some other fanbase instead of going to Sonic's fanbase. (Now, she was embarrassed she even went there.) She didn't even know why she went into the shopping mall the first place. She wore almost the same thing everyday. Two bags of clothes and one bag of snacks.

They were on sale, so she bought them before it ran out. Some kind of instinct to save money to buy expensive things that were eighty percent off. But, for clothes... well, she thought they were cute. Maybe Sonic would like it when she wore them. It saved money right? Even though money wasn't any use to them except for buying necessary stuff until this Chaos Emerald thing was done. She didn't know where her money came from, but she knew she saved it herself. Tails bought their food stock, and she didn't have a _clue_ on where he got the money to get all that stuff. She knew it would be better not to ask.

Amy stopped in her tracks, thinking of what she was doing right now. "I could just transport these without any effort..." she thought out loud. The magician simply snapped her fingers, and the bags disappeared, ending up in her room. But she was still there outside the mall. "I'll just walk back home."

"Cool..."

_Crap! I got noticed!_ Amy turned to see a black hedgehog, who was just leaning on a wall. He had a strange-looking shirt on, with a badge that looked like a scythe. _Uh, nevermind. That guy is crazy._

The hedgehog waved her off. "It's cool. I won't tell. I've had my fair share of... extraordinary adventures... Oh my god! _You're_ Amy Rose!"

"Shh... Shh... Why am _I_ popular?" she asked, calming him down.

"Well, you go off with Sonic. You're pretty popular in the fan community. Only fan of Sonic to fight alongside him." he answered. "And you still go to that community even though you've stayed with Sonic more than anyone else. Well, I have like, almost little to no adventure compared to you."

_More like stalk. But yeah, that _is_ true recently. _Amy thought, although Tails or Knuckles must've been with Sonic more than her. "Well, life is an adventure. A crazy one with obstacles you never knew were there. Sometimes you think life is giving you a hard time, they're actually obstacles you need to overcome to finish the journey of a good life." _Woah, that's actually a great quote. I should write that down. _"We have the same adventure, except I'm on a harder difficulty."

"Wise words from a fan. It's like you already know the meaning of life!" the male hedgehog said.

"No," Amy replied

He turned away, "Well, I'm off now."

"Wait." Amy said, pausing the hedgehog's action. "What's your name?"

He scratched his head, "Oh, it's Skaten. You're probably not gonna see me again. I have a tight schedule. I mean, these are one of the only times I got off from work."

_Hmm? He doesn't even have time off from work? He must be doing some important business. Skaten's a pretty weird name to be honest. Well... Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are weird names too, but I can't be the judge of that. _She thought, smiling inwardly. "We're not gonna see each other anymore?" she smirked.

"Probability-wise... not gonna happen in a million years." he said as he turned away. He was going to continue walking, until he turned back to her and put on a stance. "Oh, what the hell. This is the only time I rest. Wanna fight?"

_That is the single strangest thing that I've ever seen publicly happen to me. This guy is asking a girl to fight him upon a meeting._ Amy stared at him incredulously. She arched a brow from this strange request, which was not a gentleman-like to do. He must be _really_ naive to do such a thing. The magician turned her back on him. "Not happening. Bye!"

And with that, she vanished.

* * *

><p><em><span>Amy's Birthday...<span>_

On the birthday of this pink hedgehog, was a celebration with her friends. Cream, Cheese, Vanilla, Tails and Knuckles were all there, greeting her with a birthday cake. The fox was aggravated that his older brother wasn't here. He didn't what he was doing outisde, but he hoped he had planned something for Amy's birthday. She was now eighteen, still three years behind Sonic. Cream and Cheese got her a book, which was also Vanilla's gift, and it was about—you guessed it—cooking.

What? You thought it was magic?

Yeah, it's actually a magic book, sorry about that.

Knuckles got her nothing but a note from Rouge. Somehow. The note read that she wasn't able to attend the party because she was busy. Tails got her a red-yellow hammer. It was mechanical, had lots of attributes and other cool stuff. Used only against the Chaos Emeralds, 'cause duh...

She was a little hurt that Sonic didn't come, since it was _his_ house she was having her birthday in. He must be doing something important, or he just doesn't like her that much. She always perceived herself as his girlfriend nowadays, since she thought it was destiny for them to be together. She knew it sounded silly, but she picked up the hints on the Chaos Emeralds... they called her 'mom'. They didn't call her 'Amy', just something near the word 'mom'. The one she favoured the most was Sarah, since she was caring enough to save her from Sonic's attack. The blue Chaos Being thought she didn't know, she was wrong.

Everytime Sonic was around her, it was different than the five years ago. He would try to find a way to stay away from her. Now, he didn't care as much as her that they were living under the same roof. He was okay with being with her, like he was getting used to her. Amy thought they were okay as friends, but being friendzoned just crushed her past dreams. But now, she thought more about it. Sometimes, the heavy weight got off her shoulders, and sometimes it came back. It was back, because he would sometimes stay away from her to do something, but she would look at it at another perspective. It was gone, because...

The Chaos Beings thoughts are part of Sonic's creations. They called her 'mom'.

That one statement made her hopes high, and her inner twelve year old was shrieking. It meant Sonic wanted them to call her mom. His children, he wanted her to be the mother. Kind of unpleasant when you think of it that way. It's like calling her the step-mother. Amy didn't like that.

She didn't dwell on that either.

The door clicked, signifying someone is coming back. Amy put her head up, and so did the others. The person by the door was none other than the blue blur, who had a blank look on his face.

"Sonic," Tails greeted, "I'm surprised _you're_ here."

"Yeah, it's..." Knuckles peered over to a clock. "...late."

But the blue blur ignored them. He got past the four, and went straight for the birthday girl. He ignored the stares he was given, while he approached Amy with nothing in his hands. It looked like he had nothing prepared. But in reality, he had a present that she wanted for so long.

He kissed her.

* * *

><p><em><span>Angel Island...<span>_

Knuckles decided to visit the Master Emerald shrine, to just check on the plains of the fields and the state that everything was in. To his surprise, everything was okay. The green grass was as lush as ever, and the surrounding area was quiet and cool. The fragrance of cold air mixed with the essence of leaves boosted his pride. This was the place he had stayed on, and he was—in some way—an embodiment of the floating island. He was the Guardian of the Master Emerald, and he should still be since he wasn't told otherwise.

The giant, green jewel was sitting on its white throne, sending chagrin to the echidna. It was his mission to guard it, but he utterly failed that recently because he didn't do his job. But to be quite honest about it, he didn't care. Sonic's dark influence on it had made him say it could take care of itself. After all, this floating piece of rock moves on its own. The only one that could find its way is Knuckles, who wouldn't give two shits nor tell anyone of its position.

The shrine was carved with beautiful detail, but he didn't want to look at that. Knuckles checked to see if anyone came here. There should be no one because only he could track this place.

"Looks like this old pile of stink could guard itself well enough." Knuckles remarked, placing his arm on one of the pillars, leaning on it. He wanted to keep his distance from the Master Emerald, since it'd be awkward to be in range after _so_ long. "It didn't need a guardian, didn't it? It's like no one came here."

"That might not be the case." a feminine voice that Knuckles knew took his focus.

"Ah, bat-girl. You're the one that's been guarding it?" the echidna greeted, rolling his eyes. Rouge fluttered her way beside him, watching as the green Emerald glowed.

"Nah," the bat replied, "One day I was curious and I found this place out of boredom. Looked like deep shit if I do say so myself."

The statement piqued Knuckles' interest. "What happened?"

"You wouldn't want to know the hell I've been through trespassing onto this land." Rouge said, "It wasn't worth the trouble bringing the master back to its kingdom. I've come here once and I found that the Master Emerald had been stolen by someone. I tracked it down, found out people have been juggling it through the country. It ended up in G.U.N., which I don't have access to anymore because I quit _that_ job. So, I trespassed, got the Master Emerald back with a few friends, and I brought it here. There was no reward for me, so I shot the son of a bitch into space, only to find out it was a fake. I went back to G.U.N., found the real one, and brought back to its place."

"That sounds like quite an adventure." Knuckles stated.

"It could be, if it wasn't made up." Rouge retorted.

Knuckles stared at her in disbelief. "You made that up?"

"Yes," she smirked, "Why? I never found a way to come here until you came here. I tracked you down with your shoes. I planted a tracer there last time we saw each other without you knowing."

Knuckles stomped flatly onto the ground, creating a crack on the white floor. He heard something go —_zzzrrrttt_—, and it was a job well done for him. He glanced at her, before looking back at the Master Emerald. "That wasn't it, was it?" he asked.

"Nope. No, it wasn't." she replied.

* * *

><p><em><span>With Sonic...<span>_

Away from his house, Sonic stood out in the open, concentrating on a problem. Although he had promised himself that he would not use this ability, he wanted to try it out again. It doubled his power, and too much would destroy his body. He wondered, what would happen if he had _less_ power. It should double that power, and it shouldn't be that bad, which was what he thought. His body should be able to comprehend the less extended limits, right?

Sonic stood straight, arms by his side. The hedgehog calmed his mind, preparing himself for the mental battle ahead. This trick to doubling his power was to have a sense for energy. He needed to feel the Chaos Energy fluctuating in his body, and letting it out. It was an all-out effort, straining every part of his body that had Chaos Energy. It would've felt like his self-destruction.

"Okay, I got it." the blue blur said, eyes twitching from excitement. "I minimize my power, and then double this. It shouldn't be that much of a strain." He kept his calm, "...Double Chaos Control."

His body glowed red, Chaos Energy that formed in his body radiated power. This new power was formed through the Chaos Energy in him going over the limits. It was like a mix of fusions, atoms enhancing into much better, much efficient, power. Energy that coursed through his body exhausted him. It took energy to form power, and he was using up that energy he needed to turn into Chaos Energy. And that Chaos Energy was turning into Double Chaos Energy. The feeling was like exploding an atom, someting he experienced first-hand. But instead of atoms, this was energy. It was burning off what he had in him, his stamina.

Sonic took a moment to process, before tiredly grinning. "Will ya look at that, it worked." He stood there, before making his explanation. _The energy I'm expending is a lot. It's better to use this as a last resort. Also the strain is less, relative to the amount of Chaos Energy I use. If I turn into my Dark State, it'd create more power and expends a huge part of my energy. Even though- _He chuckled. _-I have a lot to last me for an hour. But the strain, that's the problem._

_'I see you're playing with power.'_

_Yep, I am. _Sonic replied to the God.

_'Well, I'm going on vacation, so it's gonna be harder to reach me.'_

_Meaning... peace?_

_'Yes, peace bro.'_

_No. Peace to my mind. Like, sound silent from you?_

_'Yeah. Uh... why? Your mind has literally no secret I want to invade. You've got, like, tons of locked memories and thoughts in your brain.'_

_O-'kay._

_'Ah... I've got no common sense. You want to bust that dam of secret thoughts and memories out. I know, I get it. You want your privacy.'_

Sonic looked around, before responding to Helios. _That's kinda weird hearing it from you._

_'Of course, Gods are weird.' _Helios said. _'Well then, I guess this is goodbye. Till you call me.'_

Sonic's head felt lighter afterwards. He arched a brow, muttering, "That guy has some weight for a mind."

_(A/N: This could be before or after Amy's Birthday. I just realized it fits both ways.)_

* * *

><p><em><span>Tails' Filler Chapter...<span>_

The kitsune stood atop the highest building in the night sky, tails swaying in a firmly powerful mood. It had been a long time since he had checked on the city for any crime, five years to be exact. He was missing out on all the great crime-fighting stuff in the recent years, or maybe he wasn't missing out on anything at all. There doesn't seem to be any alarms in police networks from what his watch was telling him. There was a radar for detecting the police scanners or warnings, but there weren't anything for the whole night.

"Maybe they'll come out on midnight..." he thought out loud. He sat down on the edge og the building, waiting.

Then, a beep came up.

"Ah, just what I needed." Tails remarked, bringing his watch up to eye level. A hologram sprung to life, showing the kit the details of this mess. "Bank robbery... there's not much of reason to do so. I mean, if you're a bank robber, you can't actually buy stuff because going out would gain the police's attention and you'd go to jail. So, I don't see any sense in robbing banks." He stood at the edge, thinking. "Oh yeah, I forgot police don't have my technology."

He then took a step forward, letting him fall through the air.

* * *

><p>The bank was an interesting place to be in at night. It stranged Tails because he could just rob the bank as easily as the bank robbers would. He walked to the middle of the place, seeing no thieves. He stood, arms folded, as he examined the giant yellow room. The floors were smooth, and the ceiling was high up. The pillars were there for to hold up the roof, but also served as decoration. The counters were empty, and no light was brought the place.<p>

"So that's why they do it. The _temptation_." his voice echoed through the place, while he waited for a response.

Luckily, dumb people came out and the sum total was four. Each of them had weapons of their pick. A scythe, a staff, a katana and two knives. They had no armor, except for their helmets that concealed their identities, which was fascinating to the fox. Why would they look defenseless? They must be stupid, or they were confident with their weapons. There were no guns, which made this interesting. They had no long-range attack, which would give an advantage for him. All those weapons are used for close combat.

Tails whistled at the display of weapons. "Lethal." he remarked, before each of them pointed their weapons at him. "Okay, we'll start. First of all, do you really want to get badly injured?"

No response.

"I guess that means yes."

The swordsman swung his narrow sword in a circle, before charging. Tails ducked under one jab from the katana, and sidestepped for the next slash. He didn't bring any equipment, but he knew he had the upper hand out of all of them. The guy swung the sword to a side, before making a hilt smash for the face. The kit deflected that move easily, smirking as he did. The one with the staff headed for the fox's back, but Tails moved forward when he sensed something coming. The staff arched a circle, swinging over the fox and back to the staff-master. The swordsman propelled himself forward, thrusting his weapon for Tails' vital organs.

The fox leapt into the air, somersaulting forwards, and landing gracefully. He turned, only to see a pair of wide knives coming at him. He bent his back backwards, limboing under the attack. The scythe-wielder bursted into action, jumping forth and making a slash in the air. The blade headed for the fox, but he rolled away. The swordsman and the staff-master leapt forward for Tails, but the fox crawled forward, narrowly dodging a dual attack. The knife-holder threw one of his weapons, making a projectile attack for him. The fox ducked under the attack, which struck the wall in front of him. If he hadn't ducked, it would've chopped his head in half with great precision.

"Hey guys, why don't we do one-on-one?" Tails asked, but his reply was all four charging at him at once. He jumped for the ceiling, and the swordsman threw his katana straight for him. Tails maneuvered himself in the air, twirling around the sword that he shot, and effectively dodging it with grace. He landed on the floor, while his opponent's weapon struck the roof. "Okay, that's a no."

The scythe-wielder struck his weapon against the ground, creating cracks that pierced through the marble floor. The knife-holder switched his knife position, while the staff-master let his weapon rest by his back. The swordsman faded into the shadows, where Tails couldn't see him.

He _actually_ disappeared.

The fox stood calmly against the three, and placed his hands on his hips. "This is _still_ an uneven match."

The staff-master urged himself to attack, fidgeting in place. The scythe-wielder left his weapon into the floor, standing around to wait. The knife-holder swung his weapon up, tossing it into the air, before catching it with his other hand.

"Ambidextrous much?" Tails asked, noting the knife-holder's ability.

His response was a knife thrown straight for him with remarkable speed.

Tails dodged, but barely. "Okay, _that_ was good."

The scythe-wielded vanished from his peripheral vision. The fox became serious, this was not how he wanted this to play out. With two gone, there were only two left to find the others. Actually, the knife-holder was about to go away, but Tails charged for him and made a sloppy kick. He underestimated him a _lot_. The knife-holder turned him away and directed him for the floor. The fox jumped off it with great recovery time. Thing is, they're already gone.

"Damn it..." he said, as he too vanished from the place.

* * *

><p>Tails looked down at himself, feeling useless. He didn't stop those four. But they didn't steal anything too. He knew because he checked. They were only keen on doing something. Why did they set off that alarm if they were capable of just disappearing from his sight, which takes an awful lot of stealth to do. They were perfect to just not trip over a random wire. They were expecting him too. They were prepared and ready to face him.<p>

Who were those four?

"All I know is that they're _good_." Tails thought out loud, standing by the edge of the tall building again. _All this time I've been training, and these four could've potentially beat me with weapon expertise and teamwork. Definitely something I didn't think possible. I mean, I've been training with my world-class hero brother, the Guardian of the Master Emerald and the God of Mystery!_

He calmed himself, but there was no telling how much frustration was built up in him. He wasn't strong enough after everything. He beat Knuckles, yes that's true... but at least the echidna was able to beat one of the Nates, while he couldn't. Amy was able to at least make an impressive show of winning. He was outclassed by everyone. There was no power he had that could fill the gap between them. He wanted to show them he was capable of himself, not his machines. He wanted to do stuff himself, but he needed help. Help from things he built. He had gadgets, but those weren't the mental and physical extent of his body.

The fox reached a conclusion. This was his best, and he couldn't improve at all. Knuckles and Amy have room for improvement, they've shown signs that they could go forward, while Sonic kept crushing the top scores. He, on the other hand, wasn't getting better. He knew inside that Amy and Knuckles could've beaten those four already. Sure, he was being cocky, but he was almost incapacitated a few times there.

_There's a limit I've reached... I need to break it. But how?_

He stood there, contemplating at himself. The city was blinking with white lights. Some turning off and on, things that flashed shadows on him. The black shadow he had was lighting up with light-blue energy, like he had no actual shadow. It piped down, when the kit relaxed. He glanced back at the different layers of shadow he had from the different sources of light that struck him.

He didn't notice the four peculiar shadows that were near his.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Another year has passed? Bonuses! Christmas? Uh... I didn't prepare anything.**

**The _Tails' Filler Chapter_ thing was added 'cause I was bored, and it introduced the OCs I had to the main cast.**

**What? You didn't think Lancelot**_ (swordsman)_**, Cyber**_ (staff-master)_**, Skaten**_ (scythe-wielder) _**and Metal**_ (knife-holder) _**would appear in the real story? And yes, I revealed them because why not? I didn't intend for it to actually be a secret **_(it was more of like a joke)_**, plus you wouldn't even **_**think**_** it was them. Pretty sure this overall paragraph took you by surprise when you read it, didn't it?**

**And yes, I didn't reveal the upcoming Chaos Emerald, but I want _you_ to guess it. Come on, there are no wrong answers in this one, so go ahead and speak what color you think is next. Here's a hint: KRAKA-BOOM!**

_Silver Status: Five_

_Project Nightmare: Asleep_

_Project Anti-Shadow: Hiding_

_Galaxy Emeralds: Nonexistent in this Universe._

_Divine Warriors: Yeah, they're not here._

_Gods Statuses: VACATION TIME! WEEEEE!_

_End of All Things: In Another __Timeline_

* * *

><p>"Oh Chaos..."<p>

Shade looked over to see an exact copy of the Ultimate Life Form, except he was wearing a red hawaiian shirt. He pulled up his sunglasses and nodded her way. "Shade! Wassup?" he greeted, before she pulled him up by the collar. Skaten, the Ultimate Life Form in front of her, gulped. "Let's not get too violent. Just relax..." he soothed, putting his hands up.

"Halt! Resist violence!" a whirring sound came from her right. It was the same robot that they found in space. Now with new programming, it was a peacekeeper. "We're all living in harmony. Do not break the peace offering."

"There is no peace offering, Metal!" Shade replied, hauling the Ultimate Life Form in her grasp to the ceiling. "Where is he?!"

"Where is who?" Skaten groaned through the roof, the colors of his fur changing to match his emotions.

"THE WEREHOG!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yikes. You lost a werehog? Too bad for you. Shade and the Werehog didn't make it in the four because I don't think they'd fit. Shade is a busy woman, while the Werehog, as you have read, has escaped from Skaten's supervision.**_ (You probably shouldn't have fought Tails.)_

**Oh look! 7k chapter! Uh... now this is the longest chapter.**


	22. Thunder and Lightning

**Disclaimer: It's Chapter 22, and there are some things that are mine now... I don't want to put disclaimers anymore...**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Merry Late Christmas and a Happy New Year.**

**Now that that's out of the way... I have to regard something that I've noticed in the recent chapters. ...****My spacing stinks, doesn't it?**

**Onto Chapter 22!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sonic's Protégé: Chapter 22<span>**

**_Thunder and Lightning_**

* * *

><p>Tails yawned at the screen in front of his face. He was home alone, locked inside the garage, workshop, whatever he wants to call it. Sonic and Amy had gone out, while Knuckles... the echidna was being an idiot, going on a hunt for the 'werewolf' that he believed in. For some reason, Sonic felt a tingling sense of déjà vu.<p>

He sighed, feeling lonely doing research in that small room. The only light source coming from the place were the computer screens and some projects he was working on that needed energy. So far, he had pulled an all-nighter studying chemical factories and electrical conductors, for whatever reason. It had been a year. He checked the calendar and looked for any inconsistencies, and found nothing but a rise in the electrical power plant—_  
><em>

_Wait... electricity usage has skyrocketed by 809 percent._ The fox thought, leaning closer to the screen.

He hovered his mouse around the place, before clicking stuff and finally a white light popped in his face. He shut one tired eye from the brightness of it, yawning for a second. He thought he put the brightness to a minimum, what's happening to this? He slid his keyboard away and opened up a green hologram, playing with it till his head slammed onto the table.

"Oh! Uh, what?!" he exclaimed, eyes widened.

He looked over and so himself drooling, which was not the first time he caught himself doing that. He stood up from his seat, stretching, and finally walking away from the stiff chair. His thoughts were interrupted when the screen glowed maximum white. Like, sun white. He rolled his eyes and looked back, seeing his main computer at the point of bursting into flames. Electricity ran through the screen, before it bursted out, leaving a black screen. The fox watched tiredly as it smoked, making him shrug and walk away.

"I can fix it," he yawned, water seeping out of his eyes. He rubbed it off, before blinking a couple times. "Not a big deal."

A loud bang, like an explosion, was made behind him. He jumped and turned around, picking up a wrench and preparing himself to throw it. He had it behind his back and his other arm outstretched, just to help him aim better. There was nothing but a smashed computer screen, and inside, white sparks fired out from the broken wiring. He eyed at it wearily, but also cautiously. He had no idea what was happening, unless the whole thing was fried by the mass use of electricity, then he would have a _big_ problem. A 'Sonic kind of big' problem. He would need to plead the hedgehog to give him control over the house again, even though this was _his_ house.

He laid the wrench on a nearby table, letting it plop with a thunderous tock that echoed throughout the room. His ears drooped at it. It was a reminder he had the door closed. The whole palce was complete darkness, but his overall senses could lead him to anywhere. Plus, he's been around the house a lot. He knew his routes. He was about to walk away again, till a white light suddenly burst into the room.

"Ah! Tails the fo-... no, Miles 'Tails' Prower! Am I right?" the white light asked. It suddenly ran to him, like he was some sort of attached friend. The white light put his arm around the fox's neck, in a friendly manner. "Can I call you Miles? I'm Dennis, hate that name, but it's a name, what can I do! Call me Dean! Or any, if you like! Speaking of which, you might've found the power grid going off the charts, right?!"

Tails nodded, clearly unfazed.

"Yeah..." the white light seemed like it was moving its head away. And if it could roll its eyes, Tails would probably be guessing he was doing so right now. "Sorry, Miles, but uh... that was me."

The fox's first thought was to jump away, but the white light caught him first and threw him up into the air, slamming him into the ceiling. _That_ woke Tails up. Cracks appeared on the wall, and pieces of it fell. The fox pulled himself out of the mess he got into, but the white light pointed its fingers at him and zapped some white electricity thing onto the fox's wrists. Tails was strapped to the ceiling with his wrists and ankles, which were getting pretty tired.

He tried wriggling himself out, but it only got him to jump from all the shocks he got from it. Finally, he pulled all of his courage, his willpower, and pulled himself off the ceiling. The white electricity that held him bursted in size, as if it was getting commanded by how much force you put out. The fox gritted his teeth, trying his best to not scream, as he pulled himself off the electromagnetic hold.

He fell to the ground, landing into concrete, groaning. Smoke started to rise from him, and he was dusted in ashes. The white light turned yellow, showing his real self. He looked just like any other Chaos Being. Mobian-like. The yellow Chaos Emerald had electrifying white-yellow pupils, but black irises that surrounded it. He had zapped-up hair, like how one would look if they got an electric shock. Electricity curved around him, his usual attribute.

He smirked like how Sonic would, must've been his _charms_ that he'd inherited. Or his speedy personality. Tails thought it was redundant to have charms as an attribute (for him, but he knew it was a main priority in some... subjects). But whatever, his body felt like crap.

Dennis took him by the collar and pulled him onto one of the tables, nearly breaking the furniture's legs. The fox laid on it, his back screaming in agony. The Chaos Being looked around. "Seems a bit dark."

His jolly tone set a lively mood, like he was speaking his own thoughts out. But right now, it wasn't the time.

"Well, let's turn on the lights!" He raised his arms, and by command, everything that shone light did just that, whitening the place. He could see clearer, but the fox only saw white blurry visions. "Ooh! Fancy! What does this do?!" Tails' eyes widened in fear as he saw Dennis taking hold of one of the blaster rifles, aiming it at the wall with one eye open, like it was a sniper. "What kind of ammunition does it have?"

He aimed it at the ceiling above the fox and pulled the trigger, sending a blast frequency of over a hundred hertz, which could deafen the entire place. Tails' ears started to bleed, as he saw the shockwave shaking the wall over him. It collapsed. The bullet that was fired wasn't a bullet. It was a sonic boom projector, something the kit was playing with. The ceiling wall fell on top of the fox, temporarily crippling him and breaking the table beneath him. Dennis stared at the fox in horror, before giving out a single—

"Oops. Sorry, Miles." he apologized, putting his arms behind his back and one of his legs twisting into the ground, trying to look as innocent as possible. "I should've asked you what it does first. _So_ sorry, by the way!"

With some reality warping power that he had, he got a pair of goggles and put them on. He _fancied_ them. Tails gave out a small groan, before slipping into unconsciousness. The yellow Chaos Emerald saluted to the knocked out fox, before zipping into the screens and overloading the systems.

Wasn't exactly the best exit, since it started operating the machines, and things got a _little_ haywire.

* * *

><p><span>Some Time After...<span>

Sonic and Amy walked onto the porch of their house, both wearing coats of their respective color. The two of them obviously having a fun time with each other. The blue hedgehog smiled as he listened intently on the pink hedgehog's babbling, which wasn't about anything girly that Sonic didn't like, but it was about the adventures and the fights he missed with him being out of commision and all. It was fun. He loved her dearly, and if anybody took her away from him, he would've lost it.

Before he opened the door, there was one thing he needed to say, to end this perfect night. Amy waited for him to unlock the door, but the blue blur just kneeled before her, taking a black box from his pocket. Her heart squealed in delight, as she put her hands on her mouth, astonished.

This was something that hasn't been brought up in a long time. She wanted this to happen when she was twelve, now, six years later, her wish came true. She could only imagine what would happen next, but a bit of her was turned off since the next few years would be them fighting off against Chaos Emeralds. Sonic smirked at her reaction, and opened the box to reveal a humble golden ring with a sapphire diamond.

"Amy," he began, staring into her jade eyes. "...will you marry me?"

Her voice quivered, stumbling on her words. "Y-Yes." After wanting this for so long, it finally happened.

Sonic closed the box and stood up straight. "Oh, thanks for your answer. Just wanted to know." he said playfully, leaving his girlfriend speechless. He pocketed the small black box and continued the night nonchalantly. The pink hedgehog just stood there, mouth agape and eyes widening.

"Wha-but, uh..."

"I'm just kidding." he confessed, pulling her into a hug. Amy kneed him in the stomach, getting him to wheeze involuntarily. Sonic fell to the ground, clutching his gut in pain. He recovered from the surprise attack, laughing hysterically, rolling on the floor. He stopped, chuckling to himself as he got up.

"Why'd ya do that?!" she demanded, playfully punching him in the shoulder.

"Just wanted to have some fun." Sonic replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well, we could have... if you asked me." she added the last part in secret.

"Well," Sonic pulled out the black case from his coat pocket. "I legitimately asked you to marry me." He took the ring out, as he lifted her hand. Amy was squealing inside, all the memories of chasing him was now the past. The blue blur put the ring on her finger, feeling a bit strange. "You know, I... only put it on your glove."

Amy removed the ring, and her glove. She put it on with her real hand, before concealing it with her glove. "There." she said, smiling.

Sonic smiled back, before leaning in. He kissed the magician, pulling her into a deep embrace. After a minute, they let go, lips leaving each other. "I noticed I haven't planned anything for our marriage. Have you?"

"I forgot." Amy replied.

"We can think of it later. After all, nobody except us knows about this." he remarked.

Sonic opened the door, oblivious to the bad feeling that was lurking in his stomach. There was something there, something he knew deep down that was tormenting him. But he didn't know what. He'd already learned of his dark side and how to control _all_ of its power, but he didn't know about this ominous feeling. Was it some kind of prediction? This predicament in his mind was tough to let go. He walked into the house, eyes looking all pver the place.

Amy walked in, noticing the strange demeanor Sonic was pulling. He was being protective of the house, feeling trapped. His body language could told her that there was something wrong. He flinched, he turned and he desperately tried to find _something_ wrong.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Sonic took his coat off and let it drop onto the couch. "No..." He walked around, head always looking back. "There's something off."

Amy looked over to the locked door. "Maybe it's because Tails hasn't left his room?"

Sonic snapped his fingers. "No, that can't be it."

The pink hedgehog wanted to insist on it, but she held it back. Instead of telling him by word, she did it herself. The magician opened the door with magic, unlocking it with ease and flinging it wide open. What she first saw made her eyes widen with shock. Her mouth hung agape, as she ran into the room. Sonic noticed the surprised behavior, and followed after.

Inside, everything was wrecked and smoking. Their friend was lying in a puddle of crimson liquid. His fur was scorched, scratched and wet. He had splinters pf wood attached to his body, and the remains of the broken table lay around him. He was unconscious. No movement was made from him as the two tried their best to wake him up.

Sonic could sense Chaos Energy, and it bothered him. The bastard was here!

"Amy! Can you heal him?!" Sonic asked frantically, even though he obviously knew she would say—

"No," the magician responded solemnly.

"Wha-?" The blue blur was speechless. Never had he expected this answer. His mind raced against time, his thoughts pleading to look away. "Please tell me you're not joking!"

"I'm... not." Amy replied, scared and frustrated. "There's a dark force lurking inside him that's preventing me from healing him. It kinda feels like you."

_Aaarrgh... why is it when _I_ heal somebody, something bad happens?!_ He asked inwardly. The hedgehog got no response, so he smacked himself in the head, frightening Amy, and scolded himself. _I'm such an idiot! How could I forget? _"That's my essence. I healed him before, I didn't think _this_ would happen!"

"Quick, we need to get him to a hospital!" the pink hedgehog stated. Her thoughts were more rational than Sonic's, since she had complete control over her emotions and a goal she had to reach. Sonic, on the other hand, was not really helping.

"I'll-" the blue blur was interrupted by the mage.

"We can't move him! He's losing too much blood." she informed, confusing Sonic. "Chaos Control shifts dimensions and crosses space, but you're also moving at a high speed in an instant. Teleportation, however, transports things instantly without any real movement." Amy explained.

"So, what do we-" Sonic was interrupted yet again, because Amy was in control of the situation.

"I'll handle it!" Amy said, and with that, they were gone.

* * *

><p><span>Some Time Later...<span>

"Is he gonna be okay?" Amy asked, since her boyfriend was out.

"Yes, although there were... some faints from the other doctors." the doctor informed. The dark essence was too much to handle that the doctors fainted. "He's okay for reasons we don't know of. We wouldn't be handing this info to you if you weren't one of the most powerful people in the world... but there's something in him that's healing him. That dark thing inside of him is helping him, but not so much to my colleagues."

"Oh, so he's gonna be okay?" Amy asked. _So, Sonic's essence still heals him. It might not heal fast, but at least it helps without the doctor's operations. Sonikku's still mad at himself, I should tell him it was _him_ that saved Tails' life. Maybe that'll get his hopes up._

"I did say yes." the doctor stated.

Amy didn't know she was that stressed out that she skipped over what the doctor had said. "Oh, I... didn't... catch that before."

"You seem pretty calm that your friend is being attached to some dark force." The doctor added, suspicious of the pink hedgehog.

"You _want_ me to explain?" Amy asked.

"Oh, no. It would be too much to trouble you." the doctor said, using the ole' reverse psychology. It persuaded her enough that she knew what he was doing.

"Okay, Sonic is that dark force. I'm telling nothing else." Amy responded.

"How is Sonic the 'Dark Force'?" the doctor asked.

Frustrated, Amy walked out of the doctor's way.

* * *

><p>The hedgehog sat atop the hospital's entrance roof, which acquired the attention of most people. Others ignored, knowing that heroes also need their privacy, while most just wanted to delve into every little secret to keep themselves at bay. They wanted to know other's lives to fulfill themselves of the joy that someone can be relatable. Sonic was actually not 'relatable' anymore.<p>

He was the manifestation of a deity that causes distress, not a lot of those in the Universe. He has few _actual_ friends, he enjoys being alone (which is the reason he runs a lot), and he is always the center of blame whenever his friends get down. Most would say, 'Oh, it wasn't actually you', while he would be 'I know it was me, it's always me'. Although cocky with his foes, his mind was a complicated thing, already knowing his opponents. He only boasts when he knows, a reason he was silent before he got used to Eggman being around all the time. He knew that scientist that he would always think what's his next move. A giant robot that looks like crap? Probably.

Sonic blamed himself for the kit's state. If he wasn't so casual, he may have found out earlier. If he didn't pour his own dark essence into him, maybe he wouldn't be in this state. If he didn't keep being scared, he my have helped Tails sooner. He was oblivious to the fact that people were crowding him. He ignored certain things like that easily. Blocking them from his state of mind, he scowled. He sensed something, but it was barely perceptible now. His mind kept targetting the direction, hoping it would show itself again.

"Hey!" someone from the crowd shouted. "Hey, slowpoke!"

The crowd gasped as Sonic's head snapped into the direction. There, he saw a yellow Mobian with a cocky smirk on his face. The hedgehog remained unfazed from the call, but his gaze continued to be heartless.

"Sorry to call you that. I just wanted to get your attention." the yellow guy apologized, raising a hand to do a faint salute. "I want you to know that someone is headed this way, Sonic! Someone with power I think that's far greater than-"

He couldn't finish, as the rage of Sonic had already punched him in the gut. Saliva spilled, as the person was caught off guard from the attack. Everyone immediately dispatched, seeing the cold eyes of their blue hero, glaring. Some shrieked as they tripped, trying to get away from the battle.

"You know better than to get my attention." Sonic's eyes twitched from the anger he had inside. "You should've waited; lived till I find you." He picked him up by the neck, hoisting him to his level. "You just can't wait to die, can you?"

Dennis, seeing that his dad already found him, he straightened up. He was unfazed by the recent attack, almost so that he was merely acting. There was no imprint on his body, which was now clothed in black garments that the other Chaos Emeralds wore. Dennis smirked, eyes closed, as Sonic's piercing glare cut a hole through his head. Oh, if only looks could kill...

"You underestimate me, dad. I'm not like Sarah or Nate, because I am... Okay, I forgot what I was about to say." the yellow Chaos being confessed, looking down at the ground while trying to remember. "Oh, yes. I am _not_ like Sarah or Nate, because I don't kill."

Before he knew it, Sonic's hand was wrapped around his neck, slamming him into the ground. "Then, why?" he growled, his face nearing his son's. "Tails almost died!"

Dennis could feel the breath of his dad, and it felt uncomfortable. He shifted his position, before putting on his grin. "Because dad, he's immortal!"

Sonic's face scrunched up into annoyance. His eyes shimmered through the dark. A green fiery rage waiting to be unleashed behind those eyes. "What?"

"Silly dad, you forgot the fact he's immortal!" Dennis' smile widened, "I knew that attack I pulled wouldn't kill him. What do you take me for? An idiot?"

"Then... Then why..." The dark hero had no arguments. As cunning as he may be, his son just outwitted him in banter.

"Why what?" The son asked.

Immediately, Dennis pulled himself up and swept his dad's legs, tripping him. The hedgehog caught himself from falling, but Dennis charged up a Chaos Spear and flung it right at him. The yellow arrow of light struck the dark hero by the side, blasting off atoms of dead cells into the air. Sonic's body tumbled back, before he regained his footing. When he did that, there were a few streaks of light headed his way. Sonic twisted, spinning his body to evade the blasts, while charging up his own. Using the momentum of the spin, he threw out a ball of wind-like Chaos Energy at his son—Sonic Wind.

Dennis shifted his body, pushing his weight to one side, as he left his left arm over to his right side. He waited, calculating the timing and accuracy of his shot. The ball of wind came into his range, as he swatted it back to Sonic. The hedgehog summoned his black aura just in time intercept his own attack. The triangular attack did nothing to resist the aura, and it faded into nothingness.

"Wow, I'm impressed. Already going into that Dark state." Dennis remarked, watching as his dad threw out more aerial attacks. He crouched, ready to intervene. "Whatcha' call it? Dark Sonic? Dark Super Sonic?" He leapt into the air, right on time as the attacks struck the pavement. "Or maybe Darkspine Sonic." he tried, as he flew back to the ground.

"It's called 'Deity-enhanced' Sonic." the hedgehog retorted, aiming his arm at him. His palm was open, ready to dish out Chaos Energy attacks. "Now, break."

In that instant, Dennis' whole world turned upside-down. His body felt tremendous strain, like someone decked him to the ground a couple hundred times in that second. Gravity pulled him down, his body weighed about a hundred tons about then. Sonic smirked in approval at his now downed opponent.

"Hey, it worked." Sonic said, crouching in front of him. Dennis struggled to lift his head up, but his dad pulled him by the hair anyway. In an angry fashion, he did whatever his own good character didn't. "You've pissed me off."

"To be fair, you did this to yourself." he struggled out coherent words, and it was better than he thought. Considering his entire body felt like it was now 300 tons. The more he struggled, the more these invisible chains he had pulled him down. Hey, it was the exact same thing he did to Tails earlier. Revenge maybe? But Sonic couldn't have known that.

"Yeah, I know, I'm the root to _every _problem that I've encountered." Sonic replied, "Thing is, I'm still thinking how me having a relation to a deity is a problem."

"You're a demigod?" Dennis asked.

"No..."

Sonic let go, making Dennis smash his face into the rocky pavement. The yellow Chaos Emerald thought of his ways, trying to find out how to get out of this. Tails pulled himself out of his mess, but Dennis can't 'cause this was worse. But he _can_ do something even better.

The air zipped, and nothing was left on that ground. Sonic's senses alerted him one second to late. He cursed under his breath, he could've died if his senses had a delay. Dennis stood a few feet away, arms crossed.

"Why'd you pick a lock attack anyway?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Sonic responded gruffly, "Because I thought it was cool."

"Oh..." Dennis said, frowning a bit. He bit his tongue, trying to not let loose anything he didn't want to say. "So, being a person made by a God. How does it feel?"

"I can't believe my son would ask that." the blue blur said, "But in all honesty, there's nothing I feel that's different. Because this is how I live in all my life."

"Ooohh..." the yellow Chaos Being awed. "So, you don't know the difference between natural and unnatural?"

Sonic gritted his teeth, "Get out of my sight."

* * *

><p>Amy ran out of the hospital, after witnessing what happened in the news. She was getting frustrated by the second. She was useless! What happened there only happened in front of the hospital where she <em>watched<em> it happen.

"Shizz! Why am I the one watching something on TV that could've been right in front of me?" she asked, running onto the fields of the hospital. "Is this how heroes feel?"

Before she got out of the gate, she bumped into a red echidna.

"Amy! I'm here! What happened to Tails?" Knuckles asked, rubbing his head. He had equipment on him, for tracking down and catching a beast of sorts. There, he had his treasure hunting hat, a large bag of things you need to hunt down a werewolf, and there was a dart rifle in his hands (Made by Tails. [Knuckles stole it from him. {But Tails already knew.}]).

She eyed him like he was a crazy person, before taking a step away from him. "What the _hell_ were you doing?!"

"I was hunting a werewolf!" Knuckles shouted back.

Amy hurried an explanation, "Well, there's no time! Sonic and the Chaos Emerald are-"

CRASH! BAM! Sonic landed in the ground between them, eating dirt. He got up angrily, rage controlling him as he was twitching all over. He harshly turned and vanished, appearing as a shimmering light that grew darkness wherever he went. Dennis was in the air, waiting. Sonic caught up and held him by the forearm. He swung the yellow Chaos Emerald around, before throwing. Then, he turned into a streak of dark light and followed the body of the Chaos Being.

"Sonic and the Chaos Emerald are fighting? Now!?" Knuckles screamed, "I was in the middle of something!"

"That can wait-" Amy was interrupted by the echidna.

"No! It can't wait! What if it ran away when I wasn't looking?" the ex-Guardian demanded. "It's going away and I'll never get the chance to catch it! I've gotta go back there! You two can handle that one right?"

"Of course no-" she stopped herself halfway, rethinking if she could handle this situation with Sonic. After a second of thinking, she made her decision. "Of course not! Are you insane? It's like asking us to die! There may be something the Chaos Emerald do that surprises us and gets the advantage!"

Knuckles tried to argue, "Like what? Sonic can handle himself-"

ZOOM! DRACK! Sonic was back on the ground. This time, he was prepared to fall onto the dirt, as he was crouching in place like he had fallen a good deal of height. He jumped up, twirling in the air, before rolling into a ball. He coalesced into a dark light, charging for Dennis.

"Your anger misleads you, dad." the son said in a mockingly wise tone, as he dodged as poorly-executed kick. "You're not attacking properly."

Sonic blasted more power into his flight, missing his target again, and headed for space.

Dennis was speechless at how his dad just sent himself into space unintentionally. "Uh... How do you even... How much anger—no, _rage_ blinded him?"

He dropped from the sky, landing safely onto the ground. Being able to fly slowed his fall, significantly. He saw two people he knew that were worthy opponents to fight against. They were bickering.

"Ice cream is delicious!"

"It's cold! Chocolate itself is better!"

"Eh-hem." Dennis coughed, gaining their attention. Both Amy and Knuckles stopped their retorts of nonsense, and began to ponder. What's so special about this Chaos Emerald? "Well, I have to say, you two are looking pretty lame. I mean, what are you doing? Hunting a werehog?" he asked Knuckles in particular, who grunted in response. "Mom, why put up with people when you could just teleport away? Or, just blast them into nothingness! Help me kill, so I wouldn't have to kill."

His specialty was talking straight from his mind. Way to go.

Dennis turned to Amy. "Still thinking about the step-mother thing, mom?"

The magician tensed. She then began calming herself down. "Talk."

"Hey, I try my best to peak into people's minds. I think I got yours correct." he responded with a goofy smile only Sonic could make. "Well, you don't have to worry. You're the best step-mom there is."

Amy was downright speechless.

"Yo, Knuckles!" Dennis turned to face the echidna. "How's the Master Emerald? Oh, wait, you don't care. Nevermind, what about being the lone ranger?"

"Lone ranger? No, the question you should be asking is if I should be leaving." Knuckles corrected, before smacking himself inwardly. He told him his plans.

"Exactly!" Dennis happily exclaimed, "You're the lone ranger. The Guardian of the Master Emerald. You're thinking about siding with the Master Emerald or your buddy pals!"

"Uh... no." the ex-Guardian replied. He huffed inwardly. _Almost got me._

"Well, I see no use in fighting between us. Dad is the only one that's bloodlusted." the yellow Chaos Emerald said.

"-AAAAAHHHHHH!"

Dennis lifted his head to the sound, "Oh, there he is."

The streak of black light was incoming. Amy and Knuckles prepared themselves. Amy using the yellow shield, while Knuckles crossing his arms out to block. Dennis waited, while he smirked.

"Double Chaos Control."

* * *

><p>"That cunning bastard!" Sonic yelled, standing up. <em>He used Double Chaos Control to increase the control of space instead of putting up more power. That's... That's genius!<em>

The three were teleported out of the city, as a yellow barrier surrounded the place. Sonic tried to use Chaos Control, but he couldn't find any way of getting there. The place was literally off the charts

"Ugh..." the black blur groaned, "Chaos Control doesn't work." He looked around, watching the yellow electrifying barrier that has been placed over the whole city. "He's got the whole thing on lockdown. Nothing can get in or out without getting fried, and he's jammed all access of teleportation. Pretty weird. When I tap into Chaos Control, that's not a space..."

"Since when did _you_ use Chaos Control?" Knuckles butted in, dusting himself off.

"Found it _very_ handy when fighting a Chaos Emerald. Started to play around with it. It's actually fun." Sonic explained. The red echidna sneered at him. "What? I need to go all-out _sometime_."

Amy chirped up, "Guys, if we can't get in-"

"Already got that handled." Sonic zapped out of his form of 'montrosity', and began contacting the God named Helios.

He stepped forward and bowed his head, shutting his eyes in deep concentration. It was hard to contact Helios now that the God had given him space. Helios _just_ so happen to have lots of stuff he could do than wasting his time on him.

_Hey! Could you help me out?_

_'Getting loose there, aren't you?' _Helios asked. Sonic gulped, eyes opening and shaking in fear._ 'Don't worry, I know _nothing_... except for the fact that the level of your hormones is pretty high...'_

_I will kill you._

_'Yeah, yeah.' _the God said with his wise voice, which was amusing to the hedgehog._ 'But I can't do it. Your level of teleportation is more advanced than mine.' _Helios paused for a second._ 'And I just don't want to stretch. It's vacation for me. But, yeah, that teleportation excuse is _really_ legit. Because we Gods don't teleport that much, and your skill of teleporting is higher than mine, so...'_

"Guys, I don't think we're making the trip back." Sonic finally said, snapping his head back to an upright position, fear pounding through his chest. He contemplated at the yellow dome, despair rising in him. "This means... Tails is the only one there that can stop him."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I have to say... convenient move. With Tails trying to find a way with breaking his limit, he's the only one left able to fight against Dennis! How will he be able to do it, I ask?**

**The answer is pretty stupid. **

**...but you can try guessing. I'll give you a cookie. **_(Shakes bag of delicious cookies in front of computer screen)_

**I GIVE REVIEWERS INTERNET COOKIES! Or special things in general. Actually, I can't give anything. Is a PM saying 'you get a cookie' good enough?**


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